Clarksburg Company Cited in Heat-Related Death

A Clarksburg milling and paving company could face a $6,900 fine following a heat-related death at a Washington construction site, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for the government said LH Musser & Sons was cited on Oct. 5 for failing to address heat-related hazards in the workplace.

According to Labor Department officials, an employee of LH Musser & Sons Inc. was working on a church parking lot in June when he became ill from heat stress had to be taken to a hospital, where he died.

The company also was cited for failing to report the death to OSHA within eight hours.

LH Musser & Sons has 15 days to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the finding before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

In order to comply, the company must correct the condition by a set date and pay the penalty, Joanna P. Hawkins, a Labor spokeswoman, told Patch.

When reached by Patch on Tuesday afternoon, Larry Musser, an owner of LH Musser & Sons, said the company had not yet decided which course of action it would take. 

Musser said the worker who died was a friend of the family.

“Ever since he was a baby, he lived right next door to us,” Musser told Patch.

According to the information provided by Hawkins, the company has not had any serious OSHA violations in the past year.