A trade show contractor faces $91,000 in OSHA fines after a forklift accident at the McCormick Place Convention Center last fall.
Federal officials say that one of the convention center’s employees was severely injured when an employee of Global Experience Specialists drove over his foot with a forklift.
The company allegedly failed to train or check the certification of the forklift operator after the incident, which provides the basis for the proposed fines against the Global Experience Specialists.
“Employers, such as Global Experience Specialists, who rely on the use of forklifts in their daily operations, have a responsibility to train their workers in proper operations and to correct deficiencies immediately to prevent hazardous incidents from occurring,” said Gary Anderson, OSHA’s area director in Calumet City.
OSHA reports that Global Experience Specialists has a long history of health and safety violations. The company has been inspected by federal officials 26 times since 1993 and received at least 74 citations for workplace safety violations.
The McCormick Place Convention Center employee’s injuries were likely covered under Illinois Workers’ Compensation benefits. Workers’ comp benefits are paid by an employer when an employee suffers on-the-job injuries or illnesses. The employee may also have a viable lawsuit against the trade show contractor. This is called a third-party claim.
Source: OSHA, “US Department of Labor’s OSHA fines Global Experience Specialists $91,000 after forklift injured worker at Chicago’s McCormick Place,” Region 5 News Release: 13-259-CHI, Feb. 21, 2013
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