Moving company cited in heat-related death of worker 

Employer name: Select Van and Storage doing business as Mayflower/United, 10511 S. Circle, Omaha, Nebraska

Citations issued: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued one serious, and one other-than-serious safety violation to the company by mail on Aug. 14, 2015.

Investigation findings: One serious violation was issued for exposing workers to excessive heat following an investigation into the death of a 49-year-old employee on June 9. The worker was packing and loading boxes in a moving truck on a day when the heat index reached 112 degrees Fahrenheit. He suffered heat stroke and died later that same day at a local hospital.  He had been employed by the company for more than eight years.

The company was also issued one other-than-serious violation for failing to report the death of a worker within eight hours, as required.

Quote: “You hear a story like this, and it just breaks your heart. Heat deaths are so preventable. There’s just no reason for a worker to die this way. If you’re working in those extreme triple digits, you’ve got to train your workers to recognize the symptoms of heat stroke and seek immediate medical attention,” said Darwin Craig, OSHA’s acting area director in Omaha. “Additional breaks, water and shade are important preventive steps.”

Proposed Penalties: $12,000