AUSTIN (KXAN) — As December kicks off the holiday season, the federal government would like to remind employers and workers to practice safety in the workplace, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Labor.
This comes as a “sad reminder” after 40-year-old Carlos Anaya-Ortiz “suffered electrocution as he stood on wet, muddy ground and connected holiday lights to a homemade extension cord on Nov. 10, 2022” in McKinney, the release said.
According to an investigation into Anaya-Ortiz’s death, the employer was “cited for exposing workers to electrical and fall hazards.”
“While employees celebrate during the holidays, employers must pay close attention to the safety hazards workers face atop ladders or roofs mounting decorations, handling customer orders in busy warehouses and crowded retail stores, and working outdoors as winter approaches,” OSHA Regional Administrator Eric S. Harbin in Dallas said in the release. “We encourage all employers to stress the importance of workplace safety and health and training with their employees to prevent serious and potentially fatal injuries this holiday season.”
As a way to keep workers safe year-round, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offers resources to help workers “carry out an array of holiday-related jobs.”
The resources include other information for how to keep workers safe in retail, warehousing, delivery and more, the release said.
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