Precast concrete panel maker ordered to pay $500,000 for worker’s death

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday that a company that makes precast concrete panels was ordered to pay $500,000 after pleading guilty to violating a workplace safety standard that resulted in the death of a worker.

Zachary Ledbetter, 20, died June 11, 2020, five days after he was crushed in a pneumatic door while working for Fabcon Precast in Grove City, Ohio.

Mr. Ledbetter was a batch operator responsible for operating and cleaning a mixer that poured concrete through a pneumatic door. The mixer had an exhaust valve that, by design, released the pneumatic energy that powered the discharge door to make it inoperable. The handle on the valve broke off and had not been replaced before he was injured while trying to close the door. The Justice Department said in a statement that the company failed to adhere to Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety rules, a misdemeanor.

In addition to the fine, Fabcon will serve two years of organizational probation and comply with a safety plan.

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