Feds Fine Landscaper $17K After Workers Die In Washington Twp.

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, NJ – A Cresskill landscaping company was fined $17,000 for exposing employees to carbon monoxide after two workers died in December 2018, according to authorities.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited AJR Landscaping, Inc. for exposing employees to the deadly gas and failing to train employees to recognize the hazard, the agency announced last week.

The agency launched an investigation after Washington Township police notified the agency that two workers died after a gasoline-powered lawnmower was started inside an enclosed company trailer used to transport the crew to a job site, authorities said.

The workers - both men from West New York - were trying to stay warm inside of the trailer on Dec. 11 at Washington Pond, a condominium complex when someone started the mower. The two were overcome by the deadly gas and not breathing when first responders arrived, NJ.com reported.

“Any time there is a gas-powered motor or engine running in an enclosed space, there is risk of exposure to exhaust fumes, which contain carbon monoxide, an odorless and poisonous gas,” said OSHA Area Office Director Lisa Levy, in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. “This tragedy was preventable if the employer had adhered to basic safety and health practices.”

The company has 15 business days from receiving the citations to comply with the penalties, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings.