RANTOUL, Ill. (BRAIN) — The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined BRG Sports $7,000 following a fatal accident at its plant here last year.
James Cornelius, 50, died from head injuries after falling about 30 feet off a platform on Oct. 22 last year. Cornelius was employed through Kelly Temporary Services, which also was fined $7,000.
BRG also agreed to install a railing on the platform that Cornelius fell off. And Kelly agreed to increase safety education for its temporary workers.
Railings are required on platforms that are more than 4 feet off the ground, Tom Bielema, the director of OSHA's regional office, told BRAIN on Thursday.
Bielema said each company agreed to the fine, and BRG agreed to install the railing, following informal conferences after the citations were made. He said in BRG's case, the negotiations focused on details of the proposed railing and an interim plan to protect workers while a permanent railing was being installed.
"Our role is to make sure it doesn't happen again ... Bell is working with us to make sure that it never happens again, that's the important thing," he said.
The Rantoul plant paints and distributes Riddell collectible football helmets; distributes Riddell stock shoulder pads; does bike helmet assembly; and serves as the warehouse and assembly center for BRG's Action Sports products.
Cornelius' sister, Laurie Cornelius, told The News-Gazette, a local newspaper, that her brother was working at BRG as a second job to supplement his income while he had two daughters in college. One daughter has since graduated. He also had a 15-year-old son, the paper said.
She told the paper that her brother was an organ donor. She said her family was aware that a 22-year-old woman was being prepared to get his heart.
"That was the best part of him," she told the paper.
A BRG Sports representative told BRAIN on Thursday that the company would have no comment about the incident or the fine.
