The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited a Smithfield concrete company for safety violations after a worker's death.

After an investigation, OSHA found that Greenville Ready Mix Concrete Products Inc. could have prevented Matthew J. Maynard, 33, of Burrillville, from suffering fatal head injuries while he repaired a cement truck on Oct. 21, OSHA said in a press release.

The agency says it issued citations for six serious safety and health violations and proposed $43,506 in penalties.

OSHA determined that, as Maynard installed a fabricated plate onto the chute into the drum on a cement truck, the drum began to turn. The mixing fins inside the drum caught Maynard's head and caused fatal injuries, according to OSHA.

Previous coverage:Burrillville man dies after getting caught in cement truck hopper

Among other violations, OSHA determined that the company did not establish a so-called "lockout/tagout" program to prevent the cement truck drum from operating while employees serviced or maintained it, did not train employees in such procedures and did not conduct periodic inspections to ensure those procedures were followed.

“This tragedy highlights the dangers of not ensuring lockout/tagout procedures are implemented before workers begin servicing machinery,” OSHA area director Robert Sestito said. “Complying with OSHA standards is not optional. Employers have an obligation to abate all hazards to protect the safety and health of their workers.”

Police were called to the concrete, sand and gravel company at 79 Cedar Swamp Rd. at about 9:51 a.m. that morning with the caller reporting that an employee had been severely injured, the Smithfield police said in a statement after the incident.

The company has 15 business days from its receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before a review commission.

Messages left for the company were not immediately returned.

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