RICHMOND, Va. -- The state's labor agency found the City of Richmond failed to put several required safety measures in place and failed to ensure its workers were protected when a tree fell on a city worker Derrick Christian, and killed him while he was on the job.
On September 14, 2023, Christian, a maintenance worker in the Department of Public Works, was assigned to storm cleanup at Libby Hill Park.
His role that day was to remove debris and cut limbs using a chainsaw, according to a city spokesperson,
The tree that killed Christian had already partially fallen and was only being supported by a limb, according to a state investigation report. When that limb was cut, the tree rolled onto Christian and crushed him. Christian was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Department of Labor and Industry's Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Christian's death and determined the City of Richmond, as Christian's employer, violated five workplace safety regulations.
Here are the findings, according to a citations report obtained by CBS 6 through an open records request:
- The city failed to ensure proper cutting techniques were used and did not follow proper precautions while bucking and limbing a partially fallen tree that should've been considered hazardous.
- The city failed to ensure that all employees assigned to storm cleanup received the required training and orientation pertaining to tree trimming operations, which are in place to set safety criteria for all employees who prune, repair, maintain and remove trees. (A city spokesperson previously told CBS 6 Christian had been "properly trained.")
- The city failed to ensure its workers wore helmets, exposing employees to head injuries.
- The city failed to ensure its workers wore hearing protection, exposing employees to noise hazards.
- The city failed to ensure its workers wore face protection during a known work hazard, exposing employees to injuries from flying particles during wood cutting operations.
The City of Richmond will have to pay more than $15,000 in penalties to the state and provide a corrective action plan to the Department of Labor and Industry.
Christian's family told CBS 6 they have reviewed the citations and will have more to say in the coming days.
The City of Richmond offered the following response to the report:
While the citation lists several areas of improvement and/or necessary trainings, it is important to note that the Department of Public Works has already instituted the following trainings and updated SOP:
- Chainsaw/Tree felling training conducted by Dept. of Parks and Rec by certified arborist Andrew Alli
Training was 8 hour hands-on course that covered PPE, maintenance, cutting and felling technique - Updated PPE SOP that includes hazard assessment and analysis and PPE Training certification form
The training and SOP went into effect In January 2024.
The City of Richmond remains committed to continuous improvement. Our employees and their safety are our top priority. With our focus on safety, the city has recalibrated how often we offer trainings, ramped up our certification programs in conjunction with Reynolds Community College, and added hands-on supervision for new employees. Our goal is to provide education and ensure compliance. All of these actions coupled with the updated trainings and SOP, help increase the city’s safety outcomes.
The tree that fell on Christian had toppled onto its side a week before the incident, when it was blown over during a powerful storm.
According to records provided by the city, only after CBS 6 filed a lawsuit against the city for improperly withholding public information, the tree was listed to be in "poor condition" eight years ago.
Since then, the tree had only received maintenance work one time, which included standard pruning in June 2020.
A little more than two weeks before Christian's death, a neighbor submitted a report to the city, citing safety concerns about the tree.
The report noted the tree had "new large cracks at the base" and looked like it was "falling over and could really injure someone."
The city slated the tree for removal on August 31, 2023, but it was not removed before it toppled during a storm and later fell on and killed Christian when he was sent to the site for cleanup.
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