ALJ Decision in JRD, LLC dba Maslonka Powerline Services, Docket No. 19-1937, Becomes a Final Order of the Commission.

On June 1, 2019, the Austin Area Office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) received a report that two employees of Respondent, JRD, LLC d/b/a Maslonka Powerline Services, LLC (“Maslonka”), were killed while unloading utility poles on a jobsite located in rural Texas. (Tr. 137-38, 182-83, 570-73; Ex. C-49). That same day, OSHA Assistant Area Director (“AAD”) Michael Jarvis traveled to the worksite to conduct an inspection and investigate the accident. (Tr. 571). He later assigned Compliance Safety and Health Officer (“CSHO”) Darren Beck to complete the investigation. OSHA determined that two employees had been struck by a multi-ton utility pole when it fell off a forklift attachment on a Caterpillar 966G Loader (the “Loader”). (Tr. 98-99, 141-43, 280, 622-23; Exs. C-31, C-47 p.2). At the time of the accident, the operator of the Loader, [redacted], had lifted a section of utility pole onto the Loader’s forks to remove it from a flatbed semi-truck trailer.