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Five Star Plastering

Description

Pohl and Shetley were hanging up a banner at the Mission Viejo High School football stadium when they were eletrocuted. Thomas Blythe, the company’s President and the Vice President of the school’s booster club, was on site and had directed the two employees to hang the banner. Pohl was standing on scaffolding with electrical lines two feet overhead when he was electrocuted by the 12,000 volt line; he died instantly. Shetley climbed up to assist Pohl, which resulted in him being electrocuted also. He was thrown from the scaffolding and sustained serious injuries for which he spent two weeks in the hospital. Neither Pohl nor Shetley were trained. Both employees had only worked for the company for about three weeks. Timothy Gordon, the safety manager, is alleged to have failed to inspect the site for safety hazards before the scaffolding was erected, and John Alberts, the crew supervisor, is alleged to have failed to check the clearance between the scaffold and high voltage line (which is supposed to be six feet per Cal/OSHA regulations).

Prosecutors

Unavailable

Incident Type

Electrocution

County

Orange

State

California

Date

July 17, 2014

Available case materials include

  • Media Clips & Gov't. Press

OSHA Inspection

Contact for Additional Information

Unavailable

Victims

First Last Age Title Employer Injury Type
Daniel Pohl 23 Unavailable Five Star Plastering Fatality
Joshua Shetley 23 Unavailable Five Star Plastering Injury

Defendants

Name Type Title Plea Information Conviction Sentence
Thomas Aaron Blythe Individual President, Five Star Plastering Pleaded "no contest" to misdemeanor charges of will violation causing death and injury Sentenced to 100 hours of community service and probation.
Penal Crimes Charged

Unavailable

Other Crimes Charged

Labor Code violation causing death to an employee (2 counts) (Cal. Lab. Code Sec. 6425)

John Lawrence Alberts Individual Crew Supervisor Pleaded "no contest" to misdemeanor charges of will violation causing death and injury Ordered to perform 240 hours of community service.
Penal Crimes Charged

Unavailable

Other Crimes Charged

Labor Code violation causing death to an employee (2 counts) (Cal. Lab. Code Sec. 6425)

Five Star Plastering Entity Entity Pleaded "no contest" to misdemeanor charges of will violation causing death and injury Placed on 42 months of probation.
Penal Crimes Charged

Unavailable

Other Crimes Charged

Unavailable

Timothy Scott Gordon Individual Safety Manager, Five Star Plastering Pleaded "no contest" to misdemeanor charges of will violation causing death and injury Sentenced to 100 hours of community service.
Penal Crimes Charged

Unavailable

Other Crimes Charged

Labor Code violation causing death to an employee (2 counts) (Cal. Lab. Code Sec. 6425)