Megaload mover appeals Oregon OSHA citation

By Zach Whitney

LEWISTON - The company hired to move ConocoPhillips megaloads on Highway 12 is in the middle of an OSHA violations appeal in Oregon.
Clackamas, Oregon-based Emmert International was cited in October for two different violations that left former employee David Smith in the hospital with what he said were life threatening injuries.
"I'm a diesel mechanic and I was required to work on a high voltage standing unit that I had never been trained on or worked with," said Smith. "I was told to go out and look at it even though I had insinuated to them that I was not comfortable doing it. So I ended up going out there and fiddling with it and I, of course, ended up getting electrocuted."
Smith spent a day in the hospital and said he was fired from the company a couple weeks later. He said Emmert tried to cover up the accident by placing warning signs that weren't there before his accident.
He said he wants people to know what kind of company is being put in charge moving those big loads.
"I believe they are unsafe and they are going to cause some problems with this load," said Smith. "I believe with the way they like to get around the laws and the rules and break them, there could be an issue with the loads."
According to the citation, Emmert was fined $2,500 for allowing an employee to operate equipment they were not qualified for.
Oregon OSHA representative Mark Peterson said Emmert appealed the citation in November and the investigation is ongoing. Peterson said cases go through an informal conference to work on a resolution.
Emmert International spokesman Mark Hefty said he was unable to comment on the details of the incident because it is an active appeal. But he said the citation was not part of any active transport and would not have any bearing on moving the loads awaiting transport in Lewiston.
According to Peterson, this is the first citation against Emmert in the past five years.