OSHA Says Taunton Crane Accident Was Preventable

Federal officials have determined that a fatal construction accident at a work site in Taunton was preventable.

Forty-eight-year-old Kevin Miranda was working for Taunton-based Skyline Contracting and Roofing on Aug. 18 when the aerial lift he was operating flipped over. Miranda lived both in Somerset, Massachusetts, and Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Monday that Miranda's death was preventable. OSHA inspectors found the lift was positioned on uneven ground, conflicting with industry safety standards and the lift's operator manual. Miranda's fall protection lanyard wasn't attached to the basket or boom and he wasn't trained to recognize this hazard.

A woman who answered the phone Monday at Skyline declined to comment.

OSHA issued citations for two willful violations and one serious violation. Proposed fines total $102,900.  {Associated Press)