Safety Alert for Supervisors: 2/9/2026

Incident summary Even though he had an amp probe in his toolbelt, a crew member failed to test an electrical circuit before cutting a wire that was still energized. He won’t make that mistake again. What happened Assigned to splice temporary lighting circuit wiring into new wiring for a permanent circuit, a worker climbed through a 24-inch- diameter manway, descended a metal ladder attached to the inside of the manhole and positioned himself on the ladder facing the circuit conductors. Even though he had an amp probe in his toolbelt and company safety rules called for employees to always test circuits before touching them, the worker failed to verify whether the system was still energized. Instead, he pulled a pair of wire cutters from his toolbelt and started to cut a wire. The wire, which was part of a circuit that was still energized, contacted the back of the staffer’s right hand. Electrical current passed through his hand and exited through his right thigh, which was in contact with the metal ladder. A coworker who’d been observing his crew mate knocked him off the ladder away from the energized circuit. The colleague entered the manhole and carried out his coworker. Responders arrived a short time later and began to administer CPR. The victim was taken to a hospital, but he was declared dead 45 minutes after the incident. Findings The staff member might still be alive if he’d followed the employer’s safety rule and used the amp probe to test the electrical circuit before working on it. If he’d known the system was still energized, he probably wouldn’t have touched the wire and suffered his fatal injuries. No second chance for man who disregarded safety rule Employee failed to test electrical circuit before working on it You make the call: Should boss have known staffers weren’t wearing gear? “ L ook, Tammy,” said George, the supervisor, “there’s no doubt those two crew members should’ve been wearing fall protection gear while they were working at an elevated location. However, we didn’t even know they were disregarding our work rules and your regulation on fall protection.” “You had a supervisor on-site at the time of the violation,” said Tammy, “so you can’t claim ignorance of the regulation. I’m citing you for running afoul of our fall protection rule.” “You’re awfully quick to hit us with a citation,” said George, “considering that you haven’t even heard our side of the story.” “I’m listening,” replied Tammy. Experienced workers “The two men handling the job were experienced,” said George. “They knew better than not to wear their safety gear. We trained them to use the fall protection equipment and provided the gear to them, but they chose not to safeguard themselves. You can’t cite us when workers misbehave. It’s not our job to babysit people.” “You have an obligation as the employer to make sure your staffers follow all applicable safety rules,” said Tammy. “You can’t pass the buck to your staffers. Like I said, you had a supervisor on the worksite and it was his responsibility to make sure his crew members followed the regulation.” Another area “The supervisor was working in another area of the jobsite at the time of the alleged violation,” said George. “There was no way for him to know what the two men were up to. We’ll challenge your citation.” Did the company win? 2 Safety News Study identifies a major challenge: inconsistent use of safety equipment. 2 Quick Ideas One-quarter of hearing loss cases can be linked to workplace exposures. 3 Legal Developments Employee wasn’t wearing protective gear when he entered confined space. 3 Horror Stories Wife, daughter watch in horror as tiger bites man, tosses him to the ground. 4 Safety Meeting Make sure staff members understand that forklifts don’t operate like cars do. In this issue ■ Make your call, then go to page 3 for the court’s ruling. February 9, 2026 SafetyAlert FOR SUPERVISORS The No. 1 source of actionable information to help supervisors keep their people safe Including: Supervisor’s Safety Toolbox

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: JIM MCCANNEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: FIONA HERNANDEZ OFFICE MANAGER: SHARON CONNELL Safety Alert for Supervisors (ISSN 1541-7379), February 9, 2026, Vol. 23, No. 544, is published 24 times per year by Institute of Business Publications, P.O. Box 1340, Havertown, PA 19083; PHONE : 484-472-8227; FAX : 484-472-8708. Phone: 866-572-1352 Web: iobp.com Subscription Rate (for 24 issues): Users Annual price Users Annual price 1-5 $265 flat 25-29 $44/user 6-9 $53/user 30-34 $43/user 10-14 $49/user 35-40 $42/user 15-19 $47/user 41+ Call 20-24 $45/user 866-572-1352 Inconsistent use of safety gear identified as significant challenge You’re not alone if you struggle to get your crew members to consistently use their safety equipment. In fact, 54% of 719 construction industry professionals who responded to a recent survey conducted by the American Society of Safety Professionals said the inconsistent use of gear is the greatest safety-related challenge they face. And 31% of respondents said discomfort or poor fit is a significant issue. Other major safety gear challenges identified by construction pros include cost (26%), the impact of weather (22%) and inadequate training (15%). Your takeaway: Try to get your crew members involved in the selection of safety equipment – people are more likely to use gear they had a hand in choosing. Survey respondents also identified the practices that have the most impact on safety compliance, with 84% pointing to safety huddles as most significant, followed by: • jobsite audits (83%) • safety meetings (81%) • compliance reviews (79%) • job hazard analyses (79%) • emergency drills (77%) • worker suggestions (75%) Slipshod disposal of hazardous waste leads to criminal indictment If you doubt the importance of properly disposing of hazardous waste materials, consider the plight now faced by Carl Fioravanti, owner of Alliance Environmental Control Inc., Lansing, IL. Fioravanti has been hit with a 24-count criminal indictment by the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois for his role in the abatement of hazardous waste materials at a jobsite in Waukegan, IL. According to the criminal charges, Fioravanti directed employees to dispose of a regulated contaminant in a landfill even though he was legally required to ensure the substance was handled by an approved hazardous waste disposal contractor. Based on U.S.A. v. Carl Fioravanti and Alliance Environmental Control Inc. Man asphyxiated after entering tank with an oxygen content of 15% Alert: Make sure your staff members recognize the importance of always testing the atmosphere before entering a potentially hazardous confined space. By doing so, you’ll avoid a fatality like the one that just happened at the Hyoungwon E&C America Inc. plant in White, GA. Marion Jose Rugama was asphyxiated shortly after he went into a storage tank that had an oxygen content of only 15%. Rugama failed to check the air before entering the tank. Following the incident, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration hit Hyoungwon E&C with a proposed fine of $20,522. safety news for supervisors 2 Safety Alert for Supervisors February 9, 2026 One-quarter of hearing loss cases caused by occupational exposure If any of your crew members doubt the importance of using hearing protection when they’re laboring in a noisy environment, let them know this fact: About one-quarter of all hearing loss cases in the U.S. can be directly linked to occupational exposure to high noise levels. Why vibrating tool users should put on gloves in cold conditions When they’re working in cold conditions, crew members using equipment or tools that vibrate excessively should be sure to wear gloves in order to keep their hands and fingers as warm as possible. Here’s why: Cold temperatures restrict blood flow and increase the chances that a worker exposed to vibration will become afflicted by conditions such as hand-arm vibration syndrome or white finger. Employees should also try not to grip vibrating tools or equipment too tightly, and they should be especially alert for the signs of a vibration- related injury if they’re a smoker or have a circulation-related problem. Let staffers know what types of injuries require a 9-1-1 call At your next training session on first aid, let your staffers know that they should call 9-1-1 if an injured coworker shows any of the following symptoms: • The person isn’t responsive, breathing, or moving – begin CPR while waiting for responders. • The bleeding is heavy. • Even gentle pressure causes pain. • The limbs or joints are deformed. • A broken bone has pierced the skin. • The extremity of an injured limb, such as a toe or a finger, is numb or blue. • The victim appears to have a broken bone in his or her neck, head, or back. SafetyAlert FOR SUPERVISORS Click Here to Subscribe Now Copyright © 2026 Institute of Business Publications. Reproduction of this material is prohibited without prior permission. All rights reserved in all countries. quick ideas

legal developments Safety insight: Let your crew members know that if they blatantly disregard your organization’s safety policies and procedures and they suffer a fatal injury, their surviving family members won’t be able to successfully sue for negligence. What happened: A staff member was trained to use safety equipment before he entered confined spaces. He was also told to obtain an entry permit before going into certain hazardous areas, which were identified to him. The employer had documents to prove that the staffer had been trained in confined space safety. What people did: Despite the training, the worker entered a confined space without obtaining an entry permit. He also failed to ensure that an auger had been locked out before he went into the danger zone. While the employee was in the confined space, he was fatally engulfed by the material stored in the space. Legal challenge: The victim’s family sued the man’s former employer, seeking damages beyond workers’ comp. Result: The company won. The family failed to prove that the company’s gross negligence caused the fatal incident. The judge said the victim entered the confined space without first following mandatory safety procedures, such as putting on safety gear and locking out the auger, so the organization couldn’t be held grossly negligent for the man’s death. The family was entitled to only workers’ comp payments. The skinny: Employers that can provide evidence that workers have been trained to follow safety policies and procedures are usually in a good position to beat back lawsuits filed by the families of individuals who’ve died on the job. Cite: Fernandez v. Heartland Co-op Corp., Court of Appeals of Texas, No. 07-24-00362- CV, 1/6/26. horror stories Summary An experienced animal trainer was mauled to death by a tiger in front of a crowd watching his show. Among the people in the audience were his wife and daughter. The incident When Ryan Easley stepped into the ring to perform a tiger show in front of a crowd at the Growler Pines Tiger Preserve in Hugo, OK, he wasn’t too concerned about his own safety. After all, Easley had watched his father work as a zookeeper for most of his life. And Easley had been a certified tiger trainer for more than 16 years. Easley wanted the performance to be especially good because his wife, Elaine, and his daughter, Lilly, were in the crowd watching the show. Toward the end of the performance, however, Easley made a sudden move that surprised the tiger. The threatened animal reacted to the move by biting Easley in the neck and shoulder. The tiger grabbed Easley’s neck in its teeth, lifted the tiger trainer off the ground, tossed him around in the air, then threw him down. The response As blood spilled from Easley’s neck, his wife raced into the ring and moved the tiger to a different cage. By the time responders arrived, Easley was already dead from his severe blunt force and crushing injuries. The aftermath Easley, 37, was the owner of Growler Pines Tiger Preserve. He’d purchased most of the tigers in the preserve from Joseph Maldonado, a tiger trainer featured in the Netflix series “Tiger King,” and who’s serving a 21-year jail sentence for selling and killing tigers. “Ryan touched our hearts with his passion for animals, conservation work and the way he spoke about his family,” wrote one friend. “He was a unique soul who touched the lives of many. His work will live on in all those he met.” February 9, 2026 Safety Alert for Supervisors 3 You make the call: The decision (See case on page 1) No. The company lost. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration Review Commission upheld the citation. The commission said the employer couldn’t pass the buck to the two crew members who weren’t wearing safety equipment. Reason: There was a supervisor on-site who should’ve been aware of the regulatory violation. It wasn’t acceptable to claim that the supervisor was handling other tasks at the time the men were working without fall protection. The supervisor had a duty to identify the violation and make sure his people complied with all safety requirements. What it means: Regularly walk through worksites Remember that you have to be hypervigilant about ensuring your crew members follow safety rules during potentially hazardous job duties. In this case, the employer trusted that the crew members would wear the safety gear, but failed to confirm that the rules were actually being followed. As a result, the organization was on the hook for the violation. Do this: Regularly walk all worksites to make sure employees are doing what they’re supposed to be doing. If you see someone violating a safety rule, don’t hesitate to discipline the individual according to your employer’s policies. Based on Secretary of Labor v. Enwright Roofing LLC. Man skipped safety protocols, then entered confined space With wife, daughter watching, man mauled to death by tiger

S ome of us might think that operating a forklift truck is no big deal. After all, we all drive cars and forklifts operate just like cars, so there’s nothing to worry about. In reality, however, forklifts aren’t just like cars. For instance, the typical forklift weighs nearly 9,000 pounds, which is about three times heavier than most small cars. And unlike cars, forklifts have brakes only in the front, which makes them harder to stop. Heavier in the rear Furthermore, forklifts are heavier in the rear in order to compensate for the fact that loads are carried in the front. The uneven weight distribution can make these vehicles more difficult to handle than cars. And forklifts are turned using the rear wheels, which can cause the rear wheels to swing outward, increasing the chances a vehicle will tip over during tight turns. The significant differences between forklifts and cars can make powered industrial trucks dangerous to operate. In fact, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), about 100 U.S. workers are killed and about 35,000 employees suffer severe injuries in forklift- related incidents every year. (How do forklifts cause fatal workplace injuries?) According to OSHA, the top causes of forklift- related fatalities are vehicle overturns, pedestrians being struck by powered trucks, and drivers falling out of the cab. You can avoid forklift- related injuries by keeping in mind that only properly trained and certified individuals are allowed to operate powered industrial trucks. You should never drive a forklift unless you’ve been formally trained in safe vehicle operation. Properly inspected Injury incidents are also less likely when forklifts are adequately inspected before they’re driven. At the start of each shift, examine the truck before using it. Visually check the tires, the brakes, the lights, the mast and the hydraulic system. Confirm the functionality of the horn, the seat belt and the warning lights, and examine the forks for signs of wear and tear. Damaged vehicles should be removed from service right away. Properly centered Before you begin driving the vehicle, make sure the weight of the load is properly centered and that the heaviest part of the load is positioned as close as possible to the front wheels. Never exceed the rated load capacity of the truck. You should also: • put on the seatbelt • keep a safe distance – the length of about three forklifts – from other equipment and pedestrians • look in the direction of travel at all times – if a load blocks your view, operate the truck in reverse • use the horn at blind corners and yield the right of way to pedestrians Thanks for your attention. And remember, let’s stay safe out there! Subject: Diesel exhaust Keep in mind that exposure to diesel engine exhaust can not only lead to short-term health problems such as headaches, nausea, chest tightness, wheezing, coughing and eye irritation, but it can also cause long- term illnesses such as cancer and respiratory conditions. What to focus on Here are three things to keep in mind in order to stay safe when you’re working near equipment and vehicles powered by diesel engines. 1. Ensure adequate ventilation levels. Always operate devices powered by diesel engines outdoors and not in enclosed spaces. Make sure all sources of general ventilation such as roof fans and wall fans are operating properly. Open windows and doors. And use local exhaust ventilation such as tailpipe extraction hoses to remove exhaust at the source. 2. Apply safe work practices. Shut off diesel engines when they’re not actively needed and reduce the unnecessary idling of trucks, forklifts and other diesel-powered equipment. 3. Wear safety gear. If you can’t otherwise reduce your exposure to diesel exhaust, put on an air-purifying respirator equipped with a filter certified for diesel exhaust contaminants. Today’s safety meeting ✔ Topic: Forklift safety ✔ Today’s Date: __________________ ✔ Attendee Signatures: Tailgate talk Supervisor’s safety toolbox SafetyAlert FOR SUPERVISORS 4 Safety Alert for Supervisors February 9, 2026