The company operating a Lehigh Acres concrete production plant will contest an 11-page federal safety report that lists violations and a $25,000 fine against the facility following the death of a worker there in April.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration outlined issues revolving around the death of Zavarious Philius, 23, who was fatally crushed during the cleaning of a concrete mixer at the plant at 421 Leonard Blvd North.
A representative of Oldcastle Coastal said the company would contest the violation citation which focused on locks used to prevent machinery from restarting during cleaning.
A statement from company spokeswoman Maria Carabasi said: “Oldcastle Coastal has contested the OSHA citations at issue, including the citation indicating that Zavarius Philius did not confirm his proper name was on the lock used to prevent the mixer from energizing. Oldcastle Coastal can also confirm that OSHA has acknowledged that the lock found in Mr. Philius’ pocket should have been used to prevent the mixer from energizing. Oldcastle Coastal is focused on making sure that all of its employees follow the proper lock-out/tag-out procedures in the future to prevent this type of tragic incident from occurring.”