If you ever happen to be "in charge" at work, this puts that job in a little different light for me....
Hawkeye Contracting Company LLC was cited for three violations in the death of 28-year-old Mark Allen Gray. On July 28, Gray drowned when he ran his rock truck off a haul road and into the sediment-control pond.
The state Medical Examiner found evidence of marijuana in Gray's blood and that his blood alcohol level was 0.08 percent. Investigators also found an empty beer can in Gray's truck, and a bag containing remnants of marijuana on his person.
"Alcohol intoxication is a contributing factor" in Gray's death, according to portions of an autopsy cited in a report by the state Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training.
Mine safety investigators found that a Hawkeye Contracting foreman, Phillip Rife, smelled alcohol on Gray on two occasions prior to the fatal incident. Also, an employee of Appalachian Security, which provided guards for the work site, saw Gray putting unopened cans of beer into his lunchbox at the start of a recent shift, according to the state report.
Investigators cited Hawkeye for violating a state rule that prohibits anyone from carrying onto a mine site "any intoxicant" or entering any mine site while under the influence. This citation is related to Gray carrying beer and marijuana onto the site.
Hawkeye also was cited for not following safe work practices, in that Rife, the foreman, allowed Gray to work as a truck driver after smelling alcohol on Gray. Also, Hawkeye was cited for violating a state rule that required the company to remove Gray from the work site "after having reasonable cause to believe that he could be under the influence of alcohol as evidenced by the odor of alcohol on his person detected on two separate occasions by Foreman, Phillip Rife."
State investigators also issued an "individual proposed assessment" to Rife for not removing Gray from the mine site.
Appalachian Security was cited for not taking action when its guard saw Gray putting unopened beer cans into his lunchbox.
I can understand part of that train of thought, but does your foreman/boss get in your face enough to smell your breath everyday? Next gen of mining equipment will have a drug test before you start each shift, I guess.
Contractor cited in coal miner's death * - Business - The Charleston Gazette - West Virginia News and Sports
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