Komatsu Failure to Audit Washington Companies Training Program Leads to Bridge Strike

LAS VEGAS, NV, Jun 9, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - In the deposition of a Washington Companies employee in the on-going Federal lawsuit regarding a destructive bridge strike, it was revealed that the Washington Companies employee was never trained to curl the excavator bucket for transportation purposes as instructed in an official Komatsu operators handbook. Washington Companies employee, Mr. Tyler Piles, was asked under oath if he was aware that the Komatsu operator's handbook gave approved instructions on how the bucket was to be curled under for transportation to reduce the height of the machine. Mr. Piles answered he was not aware of Komatsu requirements and stated that, "I was not given directions."

Environmental Transportation of Nevada, LLC (ETON), in the Federal Lawsuit maintains that Washington Companies subsidiary Modern Machinery should had complied with the OSHA requirement that "ensure that all operators have been trained on the equipment that they will use." Had that happened, Mr. Piles would have been properly trained at their Modern Machinery facility and would have known that the bucket on the excavators involved in the accident would be required to have the buckets curled to reduce the height to the published Komatsu transportation height. Komatsu failure to audit Washington Companies employee training program at Modern Machinery could have prevented a semi-truck hauling a pair of Komatsu excavators from hitting the overpass spanning Interstate 5 near Chehalis, WA, causing significant structural damage.

The Federal suit alleges that Komatsu agent Modern Machinery's employee failed to load the excavators properly and in accordance with Komatsu's published shipping dimensions for the equipment under transport.

Modern Machinery is a part of a large consortium of privately held companies collectively known as the Washington Companies, owned by billionaire Dennis R. Washington. Modern Machinery sells and rents high quality heavy equipment and provides product support to the construction, mining, and forestry industries. The Modern Machinery terminal in Rochester, WA is a home to a large staging area for a variety of Komatsu product brought from overseas awaiting shipment to other Komatsu dealers.

ETON is a Las Vegas-based premier transportation company serving the Western United States with equipment, professional drivers and superior on-time service.

Komatsu America Corp. is a U.S. subsidiary of Komatsu Ltd., the world's second largest manufacturer and supplier of earth-moving equipment, consisting of construction, mining and compact construction equipment.

CONTACT:ETON.meMitchell Truman+1 (702) 348 6370http://www.ETON.meEnvironmental Transportation of Nevada, LLC

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