Saturday, November 18, 2017

Sean King, 55, an employee at High Grade Beverage, was electrocuted to death by live wire as he was replacing an emergency light while on a scissor lift in Randolph, NJ





Employee dies as he replaces a light at work
Updated Nov 15; Posted Nov 15



By Justin Zaremba


NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

RANDOLPH, NJ -- An employee was fatally electrocuted at High Grade Beverage on Canfield Avenue on Monday, police said.

Officers responded to the beverage distributor on a report of a electrocution, police Lt. Christopher Giuliani said.

Sean King, 55, of Stanhope, was replacing an emergency light while on a scissor lift when he was electrocuted, Giuliani said.

Other employees had already removed the live wires when police arrived and found King still on the lift, he said. Officers then removed King from the lift and performed CPR.

King was taken to Saint Clare's Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Giuliani said the matter had been referred to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

OSHA spokeswoman Joanna Hawkins said the company has been inspected three times in the past 10 years and once at the Randolph Township location in 2011.

"After that inspection, citations were issued relating to periodic forklift performance evaluation, hazard communication, and storage of combustible waste," Hawkins said. "No electrical violations were cited after that inspection."

OSHA records show the company settled its violations in these three incidents at its Randolph and New Brunswick facilities for a total of $11,070.

Hawkins said the agency has up to six months to complete its investigation.



High Grade Beverage (HGB) is a franchised wholesale beverage distributor of malt beverages, wine, spirits and soft drinks. HGB sells and services retailers in 7+ counties in the state of New Jersey. The "home office" is located in South Brunswick, NJ and delivers to Middlesex, Somerset, Union and Hunterdon Counties. The other distributorship services Morris, Sussex, Warren and sections of Passaic Counties and is located in Randolph, New Jersey.

High Grade distributes various products of national brewers and importers. We carry all AB-InBev, Heineken USA, and LaBatt USA beverages. We also distribute a large selection of soft drinks (including Briar's USA birch, sarsaparilla, and specialty flavors), iced teas, waters and sports drinks.

Distribution is limited to wholesale customers with liquor licenses in the assigned territories. Clients include package stores, restaurants, taverns ,bars, pubs, among other places of business. High Grade Beverage does not sell directly to the public.




==================







RANDOLPH, NJ — An employee of a local beer distributor was killed this week after he was electrocuted while changing a light, police said.

Officers responded Monday to High Grade Beverage, a beer distributor located on Canfield Avenue near the Route 10 intersection, for a report of a man who was electrocuted, Det. Lt. Christopher Giuliani said.

The victim, Sean King, 55, of Stanhope, was on a scissor lift replacing an emergency light at the time he was electrocuted, Giuliani said.

Electric wires that were on the victim's body were removed by employees by the time officers arrived on scene, according to the report.

The victim was on the scissor lift when officers arrived, according to reports. They removed him from the lift and performed CPR, Giuliani said.


King was taken to St. Clare’s Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

High Grade beverage’s corporate office and Randolph location did not immediately respond to calls and emails for comment Wednesday.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the matter and has six months to complete its examination, according to spokesperson Joanna Hawkins.

High Grade Beverage has been inspected by OSHA three times in the last 10 years, including once at the Randolph location in 2011.

At that inspection, citations were issued relating to periodic forklift performance evaluation, hazard communication, and storage of combustible waste, Hawkins said. No electrical violations were cited.




===============



STANHOPE, NJ — A Stanhope man was electrocuted while replacing a light at a local beverage distribution center, Randolph police said.

Sean King, 55, was working at High Grade Beverage on Monday when he used a scissor lift to replace an emergency light. King was shocked by live wires, police said.

By the time police arrived, employees had freed King from the wires, but he was still on the lift. Police were able to bring King down and begin CPR, but King was later pronounced dead at the hospital.