Weitsman speaks out about fatality at plant in November

On Sept. 27, 2017, the Tioga County Sheriff’s office responded to Upstate Shredding for the report of an industrial accident involving an overturned trailer.

It was at that time that an investigation determined that David Kotwas, age 48 of Oswego, N.Y., and employed by Riccelli Enterprises of Syracuse, N.Y., was making a delivery of scrap metal to Upstate Shredding when he parked next to a tractor-trailer owned by McFarren Trucking of Hudson Falls, N.Y. The McFarren trailer was raised in the air dumping its load when it tipped over and landed on top of the Riccelli tractor, pinning Kotwas inside.

Employees were able to move the trailer off the tractor, and with help from the Campville Fire Department and Owego Fire Department extricated Kotwas from the vehicle. The Campville Fire Department Emergency Squad, along with Guthrie Air Medical crew transported Kotwas to Robert Packer Hospital where he was later pronounced deceased due to his injuries. 

Now, seven months later, Adam Weitsman, owner of Upstate Shredding, released a statement that the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has determined that neither citations nor fines will be issued as a result of the unfortunate accident that took place at Upstate Shredding.

In his statement, Weitsman added, “Regardless, our company is proactively putting the appropriate measures in place to ensure that no such accident will ever happen again. Our Operations and Safety departments are working cooperatively to evaluate company safety procedures, and enhance employee and management’s hazard recognition and control skills.” 

Weitsman added, “We will honor the memory of Mr. Kotwas by continually striving to maintain the highest level of workplace safety standards at all of our seventeen locations.”