Worker on cart clotheslined and killed by nylon strap at Arizona event center, feds say
A 30-year-old worker died after running a cargo scooter into a nylon tow strap at an Arizona event center, federal officials said.
Federal officials said the employee’s death could have been prevented if the company had followed safety requirements.
The worker was using a cargo scooter at the Rawhide Western Town and Event Center, which is operated by Wild Horse Pass Development Center, on Feb. 25 when they tried driving through what they thought was an open gate, the U.S. Department of Labor said in an Aug. 16 news release.
But a nylon tow strap was strung across the damaged gate to keep it shut, officials said.
The worker ran into the strap and suffered “severe injuries,” officials said in the release. They were taken to the hospital, where the employee died.
The company told McClatchy News in an emailed statement that it is grieving “the loss of one of our team members.” It said it is also in the process of responding to a citation it received.
“We have taken comprehensive measures to ensure worker safety, to improve procedures and to abate issues with traffic control. This remains a top priority, and we intend to do everything in our power to make sure such an incident never happens again,” the company said.
Inspectors with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration discovered the nylon strap and the gate arm were not reflective, the news release says.
The company also did not place signage to alert drivers to the closure, officials said in the release.
“Safety standards require that barricades and gate closures be clearly marked with reflective materials topped with vertical stripes along its entire length,” officials said.
The federal agency also found the company had not trained workers to use the cargo scooters safely, prompting “two serious safety violations” that could cost the business $20,302, the release says.
Wild Horse Pass Development Center has 15 days to “comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.”
“Employers are legally obligated to ensure a safe and healthful workplace and train workers on the hazards they may face so that they can return home safely at the end of each workday,” said T. Zachary Barnett, the area director for OSHA’s Phoenix office.
This story was originally published August 16, 2022 at 6:34 PM with the headline "Worker on cart clotheslined and killed by nylon strap at Arizona event center, feds say."
