OSHA investigating after worker dies in accident at Hatfield plant
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating after a Michigan man working on tearing down the old Hatfield Ferry’s Power Station died last week following an accident on the job.
According to Greene County Emergency Management, an ambulance was dispatched to the plant in Monongahela Township at about 8:30 a.m. Sept. 28.
Cody James Hatt, 29, of Carrollton, Mich., was transported by ambulance to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., about 20 minutes later. According to emergency management, he was suffering from a “traumatic injury,” but more specific information on the injury was not immediately available.
According to Hatt’s obituary, he was was an employee of North American Dismantling Corp. (NADC), the contractor currently working on the demolition of the structure.
An OSHA spokesperson confirmed the fatality on Monday, but could not immediately provide additional details about what happened.
FirstEnergy is currently having the plant demolished in order to sell the property. NADC was set to demolish three smoke stacks Saturday morning. On the day Hatt was injured, FirstEnergy spokesman Todd Meyers said engineers had delayed the demolition, but said he had no additional information as to why.
On Monday, he said, “All demolition activities were immediately stopped by NADC after the accident, including the demolition of the three emissions stacks scheduled for Oct. 1.”
Meyers confirmed that both OSHA and NADC are investigating to determine what occurred, and noted the demolitions have not been rescheduled.
“Our hearts and thoughts are with the family of an employee of NADC who passed away following injuries sustained in an accident at the Hatfield’s Ferry Power Station on Wednesday, Sept. 28,” Meyers said.
NADC did not respond to an emailed request for comment.