According to The Oregonian, Haulout Landscaping of Wilsonville, Ore., was fined $14,375 for three safety violations in April by the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division.
The Oregonian reports two employees were hired using Craigslist to cut and remove a 60-foot tall oak tree. One worker worked under a partially-attached tree branch and another worker was cutting pieces out of the attached tree branch.
The branch fell, hitting the worker on the ground on the head, trapping and killing him according to the article.
“Workers have a right to a safe and healthy workplace,” Oregon OSHA Interim Administrator Julie Love told The Oregonian. “And whether an employer assigns a task to a long-time employee or to a temporary worker, the employer is responsible for ensuring protections are in place.”
Haulout was fined $3,125 for not training the men properly, $5,625 for not ensuring the men were using safety harnesses when high in the tree and $5,625 for not ensuring the men were wearing protective equipment.