Lincoln Recycling fined $25k for employee death

The infamous recycling center, Lincoln Recycling of 4711 Dell Ave., was fined $25,000 for OSHA violations stemming from a December accident that claimed one life.

The facility was handed three violations which the company plans to contest in court.

The official OSHA report reads, “At 3:45 p.m. on December 14, 2016, an employee was engaged in housekeeping activities when he was approached by the forklift operator for help in putting the forklifts rear wheel back in the loading ramp. The employee was told by the forklift operator to sit in the forklift truck and hold the brake while the opera tor retrieved another piece of equipment to push the forklift back onto the ram p. The employee was told by the operator to climb into the forklift and put his foot on break to prevent the forklift from moving prior to his return. The operator engaged the parking break and told the employee where the breaks were located. The operator then walked away to retrieve equipment. The employee then put his foot on the gas instead of the break, causing the forklift to jump forward and the back of the forklift to move from side to side. The employee was the n thrown from the forklift at heights of approximately 3.5 feet and the forklift fell onto the employee resulting in death.”