DES MOINES – The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has levied $11,375 in fines against the City of Mason City since 2012, the agency confirmed on Wednesday.
According to OSHA, a complaint was filed with OSHA by city employees in May of 2012 resulting in six serious violations and $4,875 in fines. Some of the violations were described as : Vehicle-mounted elevating and rotating work platforms; Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution; Electrical protective devices; and Safeguards for personnel protection. In an “informal settlement,” the City of Mason City appealed and the fines were reduced to $1,625.
Then in September of 2013, a complaint was again filed with OSHA by city employees after a city worker was critically injured while using a front end loader and a chain to pull a tree stump out of the ground at a location where a dog park is being installed. The chain somehow broke free and “snapped back” toward the worker inside the front end loader. The chain went through the windshield of the vehicle, striking the employee in the head. The chain then smashed through the rear windshield, a source told NIT. The worker was critically injured. His identity is being withheld. The source told NIT that the man suffered a shattered eye socket which had to be reconstructed and bleeding on the brain in three places. The man was in critical care at Mercy Hospital for a number of days. He has not yet returned to work.
OSHA said Wednesday that the case is still open but that the City of Mason City will have $6,500 in fines imposed for four violations related to the incident at the dog park.
More on this developing story is planned as information is released.
How many other city employees got a $6,000 per/yr. pay raise? Something stinks here. Sounds like “Barbie” is “sleeping” on the job. The question is, who is she “sleeping with?” She sure has climbed UP the pay scale a lot faster than other city employees. Your thoughts?
I think that it is the Cities way if your in mismanagement, the bigger the screw up the bigger the raise or they just promote you.
Don’t these people have to take some kind of a common sense test – guess not! Should become a worthless politican.
This needs to be pointed out at the public meetings with the people running for office on Sat, and Monday. Why are City employee’s doing work that should be contracted to a tree service? Do they think they are saving us money by doing it on the City dime? It sure doesn’t look like it to me.
The City does have a tree crew, they just dont have leaders that can make competent decisions. If you could do something yourself on your home would pay someone else to do it for you? I dont think paying somebody else to do a job that can be done in house is the big issue here, poor decision making is.
John.. I guess I should’ve asked. Are you saying that since that it is supposed to be a volunteer park the City shouldn’t be using their employees? If that is the case then I agree. If not, if the City hired a contractor to do its work who do you think is going to pay for it? The tax payer will and a contractor is not any cheaper in the long run. If you remember the City has already looked into that before and found out that in house services are cheaper.
At this point, I’m guessing a contractor would have been cheaper then the hospital bill, and the fine. The fact the employee could sue notwithstanding. So, to answer your question. We are going to pay for it, and we are going to pay no matter what. It just seems to me that common sense should prevail.
Cutting the tree down was not the issue. The supervisor making the decision to Pull the stump out instead of digging it out is the issue. The next day they had it dug out.
And yet, here we are. Had they hired the work out, none of this would have been an issue, and it would have cost a whole lot less in the long run.
There are people that complain that city employees stand around and do nothing. Here we have guys doing tree stump removal that you think should be contracted out. I don’t think that we can have our cake and eat it too. Removing a stump is usually not a problem, if it is done the right way, with a back hoe, which is safer. Most of the time, management should leave the work to the workers, as they will do it the most economically and safest. I agree with Bystander, a poor management decision was made, at a high cost.
I think Barb is only one part of this problem . I have heard that the same supervisor has been involved in and in some way or form the cause of both of these OSHA finds. I think the liability should be on him and the ones that have not corrected this problem. How much is the City willing spend before they cut these liabilties loose?
Sorry.. should be “fines”
So, I do you go from stirring turds at the sewage plant, to being a high paid safety director, that really doesn’t know s**t, pun intended.
Sorry, it should have said, So, how do you go.
How much will Ms. Wood be rewarded this yr. for her “outstanding job performance”? Sounds like she is more of a liability to the City, costing the taxpayer more money. Isn’t it about time she be terminated as a city employee?
Good Job North Iowa Today for keeping the public informed of things that are usually kept secret.
This was a terrible incident and there have been no stories posted except yours. Again.. Good Job
So Barbie Wood screwed up again! Let’s see she was rewarded last yr. by getting a $6,000 raise
Don’t forget her assistant.