OSHA fines Kansas City company after worker's death

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A federal agency has recommended nearly $200,000 in fines after an apprentice technician died from electrocution at a construction site in Kansas City last year — just a year after another technician working for the company was electrocuted at a construction site in Kansas.

The technician working for U.S. Engineering Services died on Aug. 24, 2022, when he came in contact with energized parts while clearing a chiller unit at University Academy in Kansas City, Missouri, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Tuesday.

An OSHA investigation found the company did not follow required procedures that could have prevented the death. The agency cited similar violations when another company HVAC technician was electrocuted while working on a rooftop air conditioning unit in Wichita, Kansas, in July 2021.

OSHA cited U.S. Engineering Services, a subsidiary of U.S. Engineering, for three serious and two repeat violations and proposed $197,642 in penalties. The agency found similar violations after the worker died in Wichita. U.S. Engineering Services paid the penalties in that case.

The company has 15 business days to respond to OSHA'S recommendations.

U.S. Engineering said in a statement that it has reviewed the citations.

"Safety is a core value for our organization, and we are committed to the health and safety of all of our team members," the statement says.

"We look forward to continuing our work with OSHA on this matter. However, because these citations remain open to appeal, we have no additional comment at this time.