OSHA fines company after New Bedford dock collapse that injured Eastern Fisheries workers

Matthew Ferreira, The Standard-Times
Updated ·2 min read

The U.S. Department of Labor is penalizing a Connecticut-based marine and construction contractor in connection with the October collapse of a dock along the New Bedford waterfront, which officials say could have been prevented had the company adhered to standards.

The Oct. 11 collapse of roughly 200-foot long section of the pier behind Eastern Fisheries on Hervey Tichon Avenue in New Bedford sent five workers into the Acushnet River, with two of them hospitalized for injuries.

According to a press release, Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors found Mohawk Northeast Inc. of Plantsville, Connecticut, had failed to determine if the "walking and working surfaces" of the pier "had the strength and structural integrity to support employees safely with the weight of materials and equipment on it."

OSHA cited the company and issued $161,323 in penalties, according to the release. In addition, OSHA proposed $53,004 in penalties for failing to "provide fall protection for employees working on the pier"; "anchor or secure a crawler crane to the barge effectively to prevent its shifting"; "provide life jackets for employees working on the pier and an adjacent barge"; and "protect or mark the crane’s swing radius to prevent it from striking employees."

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The total penalties issued to Mohawk Northeast Inc. come to $214,327.

“Mohawk Northeast Inc. had a responsibility to determine if the pier was structurally sound and ensure other required safeguards before placing its employees and equipment on the pier, but it chose not to do so," said OSHA Area Director James Mulligan in Braintree. "Proper planning and preparation could have prevented the pier’s collapse. While fortunate that no fatalities occurred, the company still exposed employees needlessly to potentially fatal and disabling injuries."

Compliance, or response, due soon

Since the citations were received by Mohawk Northeast Inc., the company met with OSHA on April 3, according to OSHA media contact Edmund Fitzgerald, however, a settlement was not reached at that time. Another meeting is currently set, Fitzgerald said, but he was not sure of the date. The company is due to comply or contest the findings by April 15, Fitzgerald said.

A representative from Eastern Fisheries, near the time of the incident, told The Standard-Times the collapse would not affect "Eastern Fisheries' operations or their ability to unload product."

As a construction company, Mohawk Northeast Inc. specializes in heavy and marine construction, and tugboat transportation, according to the release.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford dock collapse that injured 2 workers leads to OSHA fines