Former Safety Manager Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Major Fraud

By Anonymous -

On April 11, a federal judge sentenced Water Cardin, former safety manger of the Shaw Group, to 78 months in prison for deliberately falsifying records of workplace injuries. Shaw, formerly Stone and Webster Construction, held a contract for construction services at several TVA facilities, and used the false injury reports to claim bonuses of more than $2.5 million under the contract.
Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, issued the following statement:
"This case shows the destructive consequences that purely rate-based incentive programs can have. Far from promoting safety, the bonus led to  a systematic effort to conceal injures. Injured workers were denied or delayed medical treatment. Underlying workplace safety issues went un-addressed. There is a better way. A comprehensive injury and illness prevention programming which employers commit to finding and fixing hazards can achieve real safety in the workplace."
(OSHA Newsletter)

Trenton H. Cotney
Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer
Trent Cotney, P.A.
1211 N Franklin St
Tampa, FL 33602


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