April 15, 2024
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Monday that it cited a Florida contractor following the September 2023 heat-related death of a sugar cane farm worker.
OSHA cited Belle Glade-based McNeill Labor Management Inc. for one “serious” violation for exposing workers to hazards associated with high ambient heat while working under direct sunlight and proposed $27,655 in penalties.
The company has contested the citation and proposed penalties before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
The worker, who came to Florida from Mexico to work at the farm, died on his first day on the job, OSHA said. The man suffered fatal heat-related injuries while working in an open field as the heat index reached 97 degrees.