A barge manufacturer was recently fined by federal safety inspectors after a worker was crushed to death at one of its facilities. The worker reportedly became trapped between a transfer car and a barge after the transfer car malfunctioned. The manufacturer, Jeffboat, has seen three fatalities at the facility since spring of 2011 and regulators say that the employer's lax safety standards are placing workers at a serious risk for wrongful death.

"Jeffboat has a responsibility to ensure that its employees are properly protected from known workplace hazards," said an area director for the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. "Failing to ensure workers' safety and health through appropriate equipment maintenance, training and adherence to OSHA regulations demonstrates a lack of regard for employees' lives and well-being."

The proposed fines against Jeffboat total $119,000 and the company has 15 business days to contest the fines if it wishes to do so. It is unclear whether any wrongful death litigation will arise out of the most recent worker's death. Wrongful death cases are typically brought by the family of a deceased worker against those whose negligence caused the worker's death.

When a worker dies on the job, a variety of entities may be liable including the worker's employer, coworkers, maintenance contractors, and the manufacturer of any device which played a role in injuring the worker. Workers who are injured on the job but survive may be entitled to workers' compensation benefits for their injuries which can help pay for medical expenses and lost wages.

Source: OSHA, "US Department of Labor's OSHA cites Jeffboat for 9 safety violations after worker fatality at Jeffersonville, Ind., barge manufacturing facility," 11-1765-CHI, Feb. 16, 2012