WATERTOWN — The State Department of Labor’s Public Employee Safety and Health (PESH) Bureau recently issued citations against the City of Watertown for violations of safety laws that contributed to the on-the-job death of Sewage Treatment Plant Process Worker and Jefferson County Local member Gregory Eliopoulos.
Following a lengthy investigation by PESH Investigator Luke Parga in conjunction with local law enforcement, city administration and union officials, PESH cited the city over five serious violations and two non-serious violations in relation to the incident that cost Eliopoulos his life.
Eliopoulos, 54, of Sackets Harbor, was working the evening shift at the sewage treatment plant on Nov. 20, 2017, adjusting a fitting on an energized high-pressure hydraulic line feeding a filter press machine, when the fitting came off the machine, fatally striking him.
CSEA Occupational Safety and Health Specialist Joshua Kemp, who investigated the incident on behalf of our union, said the serious violations included failure to provide training; failure to have an energy control plan; failure to provide energy isolation equipment; failure to verify isolation and an electrical violation.
Kemp said the violations contributed to Eliopoulos’ death, but noted that city officials have indicated a sincere willingness to work with our union and PESH to correct them. CSEA has offered our professional safety and health resources at no cost to the city to help get these vital protections in place as quickly as possible to ensure the protection of the workers and return plant operations back to normal to serve the community.
“This was no accident because it was preventable,” CSEA Central Region President Colleen Wheaton said. “Yet, we are encouraged that the city is committed to working with us to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”
“This is a prime example of why safety and health programs must always be a priority in the workplace,” said Kemp. “Now is not the time for any level of government to be rolling back safety regulations.”
CSEA has long advocated against safety cutbacks, yet workplace fatalities across the country are on the rise (7 percent increase in 2016). The latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that more than 14 workers are killed on the job every day.
Unfortunately, the state PESH Bureau, like OSHA, isn’t funded to a level that allows staff to perform enough programmed inspections to keep employers in compliance with state and federal safeguards that directly save lives.
— Mark M. Kotzin
