Ann Arbor hotel fined maximum penalty for worker's death due to carbon monoxide poisoning
The Victory Inn & Suites in Ann Arbor.
LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - The state has levied the maximum penalty against an Ann Arbor hotel after a maintenance worker died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Victory Inn and Suites of Ann Arbor, which is owned by US 23 Lodge LLC, was fined $155,600 and cited for eight violations after a 49-year-old employee was found slouched against a wall in the third-floor boiler room.
It happened in November 2022.
The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity sought the penalties due to the hotel's history of noncompliance with building codes and its knowledge of the worker's inexperience with boiler-type heating systems.
The LEO said the employer's actions showed "plain indifference" to employee safety and occupational workplace rules.
"Our goal is always to educate before we regulate," said MIOSHA Director Bart Pickelman. "But when employers neglect to identify workplace hazards or provide necessary safeguards to protect their employees, we must hold them accountable for making sure their employees are properly trained and equipped to perform their jobs safely. This death was 100% preventable."
MIOSHA, which is housed under the labor department, cited the employer for six serious citations and two willful-serious citations - the latter penalties making up the bulk of the fines weighed against US 23 Lodge LLC.
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An inspection by the agency discovered the exhaust in that boiler system was blocked by a metal sheet, which allowed carbon monoxide gases to build up inside the room. The system's air intake was also blocked by a garbage bag, preventing fresh air from flowing into the room.
Due to the employer being deemed a "severe violator," the department will refer the case to the attorney general's office for possible criminal charges.