UPDATE: Wonderland Pier Contests OSHA Fine in Fatal Fall Case

OCEAN CITY – Gilamco Inc., the company that operates Gillian’s Wonderland Pier on the Ocean City Boardwalk, has contested the $10,151 fine issued as a result of the death of a man thrown from a lift when the surface it was on collapsed.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fined Gilamco, as well as Cargo Tech International Inc., for violations stemming from a fatal fall at the amusement park last year.
Exactly six months after the fatal accident, Nov. 2, 2022, OSHA issued a $10,151 fine against Gilamco for one serious violation and $8,702 in fines for two serious violations to Cargo Tech, per information on OSHA’s website. Cargo Tech’s fines were later reduced to $7,832.
Lenore Uddyback, a spokesperson for the state Department of Labor, said the citation issued to Gilamco was related to whether the surface could have supported the weight of the machinery involved. She said a company that receives a citation from OHSA has 15 working days to contest the citation or penalties.
In the case of Cargo Tech, the company received two citations. One was for the deficient surface area, and the other for there being no safety strap for the worker. Uddyback said the worker, who was one of the owners of the company, was not tethered to the piece of equipment. Cargo Tech did not contest the fine but paid a revised amount and provided corrective action, Uddyback said.
The OSHA investigation and subsequent fines came after Robert Sanger, 62, of Pittsgrove, was killed when he was lowering a lift and the concrete slab upon which the machinery he was operating collapsed.
According to the investigation summary, Sanger was employed by Cargo Tech International Inc., out of Swedesboro, and was working on a job at Wonderland Pier.
At around 10:30 a.m. May 2, 2022, Sanger, a welder, was working on a Genie S-85 self-propelled telescoping boom lift and was attempting to reposition the lift. The concrete pier underneath the lift collapsed, and Sanger was thrown from the machine at a height of about 20 feet. The cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma to the head and torso, the report says.
All the rides at Wonderland Pier had been inspected and received permits for the 2022 season.
A day after the fatal accident, OSHA issued an advisory for workplaces to be aware of fall hazards and to focus on preventing injuries or deaths due to falls. 
Thoughts? Questions? Contact the author, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.