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N. WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. - A Lehigh Valley tree service company and its owner could have prevented a fatal woodchipper accident last summer by following required safety standards, OSHA says. Pe Multi-Layer Pipe Making Machine
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration released its findings Monday after an investigation into the death of a 17-year-old at a North Whitehall Township site in August 2022.
The teen, Isiah Bedocs, was working for Adam's Tree Service when he was partially pulled into a woodchipper as he fed entangled material into the machine, OSHA said. He was part of a tree removal crew working at a home on Excelsior Road.
Investigators found out that the company, owned by Adam Atiyeh, allowed three minor workers to operate the woodchipper, a hazardous job forbidden by federal child labor laws, the report says.
OSHA issued the company and Atiyeh citations for 10 serious safety violations, and proposed fines of more than $136,000.
According to the report, the company failed to:
Atiyeh has 15 business days to comply with the penalties, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before a review commission.
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The teen was flown to the hospital, where he died, said state police and the coroner.
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