Federal investigation into the death of Guam Shipyard worker heads into second month

What caused a deadly crane accident at the Port Authority of Guam more than a month ago?

Roger Forstner is the OSHA area director.

"At this point, it’s an ongoing investigation so we really can’t talk about it until it’s completed," he said. 

OSHA is leading the investigation into the Nov. 25. 2022 tragedy that claimed the life of a Guam Shipyard employee.

"It’s always a hard situation and that’s why we want to get this message out," Forstner said. 

Last March, the port and the administration celebrated in front of the old cranes a $2.5 million project to safely demolish them.

Guam Shipyard and Smithbridge are the contractors making room for new cranes.

Port General Manager Rory Respicio and Guam shipyard president and CEO Mathew Pothen, during the ceremony, reemphasized safety.

"The port users group has been very supportive of this project and even asked for safeguards to ensure that the Port would be protected during this project," Respicio said. 

"We want to thank the Port management for allowing us to remove these and get involved for the past few years safely," Pothen said. 

Details into exactly what went wrong are part of OSHA’s investigation.

"It comes down to workplace training, safety and work controls," Forstner said. 

The U.S. Department of Labor is urging employers to enhance workplace safety measures, as OSHA plans to inspect ports, construction sites, and job sites where cranes are in use.

"Nobody goes into work today thinking somebody is going to die but the unfortunate the reality is on average throughout the US, 12 people die every day in workplace accidents," Forstner said.

The troubling statistics and the latest death at Guam's port, led to OSHA even putting together this list of safety recommendations.

"Being proactive when looking at things, assessing risks. Really if any crane or equipment has damage, don’t operate it," Forstner said. "Be careful and read the warnings and precautions, and don’t perform any work under loads. At the end of the day a lot of it is common sense and it a lot of times when you look at things, people sometimes become complacent or they do things day in and day out, you don’t think about it as much. It’s important to keep always in the forefront."

OSHA is also expected to conduct outreach activities, on-site consultations and more to prevent injuries and deaths in the workplace.