BANGOR, Maine — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined the company that owns Bangor Raceway $5,000 in connection with the death of a longtime racetrack employee in September.
Edwin “Ed” Reynolds, 64, of Machias died on Sept. 9, 2015, after a starting gate vehicle struck him while he was on the track.
Reynolds did groundskeeping, managed the stables and maintained the grandstands, according to raceway officials. He was active in the racing community, owning and breeding horses in the past as well.
In a citation issued late last week for what it termed a “serious” violation, OSHA said that Hollywood Casino Hotel and Raceway “did not assess the workplace to determine if hazards are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of personal protective equipment.”
The citation further noted that the employer “did not assess the hazards associated with the operation of the open starting gate while foot traffic was permitted around the track.”
A spokesman for Hollywood Casino Hotel and Raceway was preparing a response Thursday afternoon.
After his death, Reynolds was recalled as a respected member of the harness racing community who served as a father figure to younger workers.
Reynolds was a Machias resident but rented a camp in the Bangor area and lived in a camper in Bangor during racing season.
In a letter to the track owner, OSHA Area Director Maryann Medeiros noted that an inspection of the facility on the day of Reynolds’ death found that workers on the track were exposed to a hazard from the open starting gates being driven around the track.
To that end, she recommended that, if feasible, the company should:
— Prohibit pedestrians from being on or adjacent to the track when the starting gate is operating.
— Coordinate activities of equipment operators, especially the starting gate, and grounds personnel so that workers are not in the danger area of equipment operations.
— Alert personnel working on or near the track to leave the track area during the operation of the starting gate.
Because no OSHA standards apply to those three hazards, no citation was issued for them, Medeiros said.
The day after Reynolds’ death, Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway said it had launched an internal investigation and that it was cooperating with Bangor police and Maine State Police, who also investigated.
Track officials have 15 business days from Wednesday, the day they received the notification from OSHA, to appeal the penalty, Medeiros said. That had not occurred as of late Thursday afternoon, she said.