Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigating after worker killed at Fulton workshop

OSHA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, confirmed to ABC 17 on Thursday that it will be taking over the investigation.

A worker at a workshop in Fulton was killed Thursday after getting stuck between a truck and fork lift. According to the Fulton Police Department the accident happened Thursday morning around 10:30 a.m at Kingdom Projects on north Business 54.

Fulton police said they determined the incident to be an accident but OSHA will still investigate to find out if there was workplace neglect or if the incident could have been prevented.

“The investigation includes gathering evidence, interviewing employees, and reviewing relevant company records and documents,” said OSHA Associate Area Director David Keim. “We’ll review their forklift training documents of course.”

Fulton Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Coffelt says the incident happened in a work yard behind the main facility when the worker got caught. The worker, who has not been identified, was taken to a local hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

Fulton Police Department believe it was a middle aged man, who had some sort of developmental disability.

Kingdom Projects is a non profit organization that employs about a 100 adults with disabilities.

Keim confirmed Kingdom Projects has been issued citations in the past. In 2014, it received fines for using defective machinery and not evaluating confined spaces.

Keim said those citation costs were reduced.

“The penalties were reduced during an informal settlement agreement between Kingdom Projects and OSHA,” he said in an email. “Generally if the employer quickly abates hazards, does not have a prior history with OSHA, a penalty reduction may be authorized during an informal settlement conference.”

We have reached out to Kingdom Projects and are awaiting a statement from the organization.