Company fined after worker fell off barge, died in Mississippi River
Published 9:25 pm Tuesday, August 22, 2023
- Searchers look for the body of Donny Mitchell, 50, on Feb. 10 after images underwater were spotted on sonar. Mitchell fell from a barge into the Mississippi River on Feb. 8. (File photo/Submitted)
A company operating in Natchez faces more than $60,000 in fines after a worker fell to his death from a barge in February.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a report on Aug. 17 citing safety violations at the Buzzi Unicem USA facility in Natchez and cited $62,500 in penalties against the company.
Buzzi Unicem USA operates as River Cement Sales Co. and sells brick, stone and related construction materials manufactured at cement plants across the United States.
According to reports, OSHA concluded the company’s negligence placed three of its workers at risk of drowning, particularly due to the absence of mandated personal flotation devices.
Donny Mitchell, 50, of Clayton, Louisiana, fell into the Mississippi River at about 4:30 a.m. on Feb. 8. He was on a barge at the time and was attempting to climb a ladder onto a walkway at the Buzzi Unicem terminal on L.E. Berry Road in Natchez. Rescuers searched for several days before calling off the efforts. Mitchell’s body was recovered from the Mississippi River on March 14.
In its report, OSHA cited the company for five serious violations, ranging from the absence of essential guardrails and first aid training to the lack of an eyewash station.
