Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health reaches settlement with State Forestry in Yarnell Hill Fire case

(PHOENIX – June 29, 2015) – The Industrial Commission of Arizona’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) has reached a settlement agreement with the Arizona State Forestry Division (State Forestry). As approved by an administrative law judge, the agreement resolves citations issued by ADOSH against State Forestry in December 2013 for workplace safety violations arising out of the Yarnell Hill Fire tragedy, where nineteen members of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew died in a burnover on June 30, 2013.

“The settlement reflects a shared commitment to ensuring the safety and health of wildland firefighters, and requires State Forestry to provide enhanced safety training for incident command management, additional fire suppression activities, and improved wildland firefighter safety,” said Bill Warren, director of the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

Unless waived by the dependents, the settlement agreement also requires the payment of money to the dependents of the deceased firefighters. The settlement agreement is available for review online at www.azica.gov.

To obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities, or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call ADOSH’s toll-free hotline at (855) 268-5251, its Phoenix office at (602) 542-5795, or its Tucson office at (520) 628-5478.

Under the Arizona Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. ADOSH’s role is to protect Arizona’s working men and women by enforcing the Act’s standards and providing training, education, and assistance. For more information, visit www.azica.gov.