Trucking firm’s safety rules meant nothing after worker died

OSHA cited Hall Trucking under the general duty clause – the federal safety law requiring employers to keep workplaces free from known hazards likely to cause death or serious harm. The proposed fix: an internal traffic control plan, or ITCP, which can include steps to keep workers and trucks apart, high-visibility gear requirements, and targeted training. 

Hall Trucking argued its existing safety procedures were adequate. On paper, they looked solid – back-up alarms, cameras, training, high-vis gear, and a policy of firing anyone who broke the rules. 

The reality looked nothing like the manual. 

During the fatal incident, the back-up camera had glare. The spotter had his back turned. Employees were not wearing high-visibility gear. Workers routinely ignored back-up alarms. The company had never given employees written policies for struck-by hazards – the exact danger that killed their colleague. 

The court noted that putting safety measures in a manual is not enough “unless those measures are actually followed and enforced.”