Being illegal not a factor in investigation into workplace death | Free News

If the worker who died at the Masonite plant in Laurel on March 2 was an illegal immigrant, that has no bearing on the investigation into the incident, according to Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines.

“Every worker in America deserves to be safe on their job,” a Department of Labor spokesperson said in response to an inquiry by the Leader-Call. “Employers have the responsibility to provide a safe workplace. Employers MUST provide their workers with a workplace that does not have serious hazards and must follow all OSHA safety and health standards.”

The agency actually has policy in place to facilitate claims by illegal immigrants, particularly those believed to be victims of human-trafficking or other violence.

“OSHA now has the authority to issue certifications in support of U and T nonimmigrant visa applications,” the spokesperson said. “This gives us an important tool to protect workers who are afraid to report safety and health concerns because of their immigration status, temporary employment authorization or at risk of criminal activities such as labor trafficking.”

Cruz Lopez Calderon, 46, was pronounced dead at Masonite by Coroner Burl Hall just after 9:30 a.m. March 2. EMServ Ambulance and Laurel police were also called to the scene and LPD Investigator Brad Anderson reported that it appeared to be an accident. The body was sent to the crime lab for an autopsy.

Calderon was reportedly working for Konnan Roofing out of Fort Worth, which had been contracted by Masonite, and was on the roof of the door plant when he fell through and plunged approximately 60 feet to his death. The worker was in the country illegally and not wearing a harness or other safety equipment, several sources with knowledge of the incident said.

As a matter of policy, OSHA officials don’t comment on ongoing investigations, but a spokesperson did answer a couple of general questions, such as the one about undocumented workers. The agency spokesperson was also asked if a contract company or the company that hired it was held responsible for violations in an incident like the one that happened in Laurel.

“During inspections involving the death of a worker, OSHA works to determine the cause of the event and whether a violation of OSHA safety and health standards occurred,” the DOL spokesperson said. “The Multi-Employer Citation Policy explains that on multi-employer worksites (in all industry sectors), more than one employer may be citable for a hazardous condition that violates an OSHA standard under certain criteria.”

No timeline was given for when the OSHA investigation will conclude and its findings will be announced.

DOL officials did provide contact information for illegal immigrants to report workplace safety and health concerns: For more information, visit: https://www.whistleblowers.gov/ut_visa.

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