For now, a Vancouver, Washington-based contractor isn’t facing felony charges related to a teen worker’s severe injuries, but the company remains under scrutiny.
In June, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office declined to criminally investigate Rotschy Incorporated over a 2023 incident resulting in the permanent disability of a teenage employee.
A teenage worker lost both legs while operating a trench machine, which state law prohibits minors from doing.
The Department of Labor and Industries recommended criminal charges against Rotschy, the first time it had ever made such a recommendation.
The Sheriff’s department decided in June not to criminally investigate due to lack of cooperation from the victim and witnesses. But the Clark County Prosecutor’s office is still reviewing the case.
Also, in June, in a separate incident, the Port of Longview temporarily halted the contractor’s $44 million rail expansion project.
A brief pause in construction came after another worker was airlifted with severe injuries from a Rotschy jobsite in Woodland.
At the time, the company’s spokesperson said the company made changes after the worker in Woodland was injured, adding daily huddles and hiring its own safety manager to be onsite full-time.
The Clark County Prosecutor’s Office is still reviewing the case.
Read more about the investigation into Rotschy here and read about the Clark County Sheriff's Office investigation decision here.
The Newsfeed: WA contractor may avoid charges for teen worker injury
Though the Clark County Sheriff’s Office declined to investigate Rotschy Inc. for the 2023 incident, the county prosecutor is still reviewing the case.
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Shannen Ortale is a producer at Cascade PBS. She formerly worked as a freelancer & film festival programmer. She also served as a producer & educator for community media & public television in Boston.