TOSHA: Company Fined Thousands after Employee Falls to Death at Gatlinburg Convention Center

The company facing fines is Appalachian Staffing Service, LLC. (Courtesy: WVLT)

TOSHA: Company Fined Thousands after Employee Falls to Death at Gatlinburg Convention Center

Posted on April 23, 2024

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A third party working at the Gatlinburg Convention Center is now facing thousands in fines following a workplace death in December of last year.

According to a report from the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA), Appalachian Staffing Service, LLC was fined $8,200 after 66-year-old Jeffrey Coker fell from the center’s rafters on December 26, 2023.

Investigators say employees were working on rigging equipment to the ceiling when the Coker fell 32 feet onto a concrete floor.

Appalachian Staffing Service is facing four citations, ranging in fines from $1,200 to $1,400 each. The violations mostly cover safety checks-and-balances, claiming the company did not verify that all equipment was working correctly.

Headlines

What's happening

Painting with a Purpose! (with McLain’s Painting Service)

Painting with a Purpose! (with McLain’s Painting Service)

Nominate your favorite Non-profit organization to get a fresh coat of paint up to $10,000 provided by Sherwin Williams! Nominations for Painting With A Purpose 2025 open on April 28th, 2025 and ends the first week of June. The winner will be announced in July.

Blount Memorial Downtown Dash for Breast Cancer- May 10th

Blount Memorial Downtown Dash for Breast Cancer- May 10th

Join Blount Memorial Saturday, May 10 as they host their Inaugural Downtown Dash for Breast Cancer to honor breast cancer survivors, remember those who have fought the battle, and raise money to expand access to life-saving breast cancer screening and diagnostic services right here in Blount County! Gather for this event at Blount Memorial Health Center at Springbrook – 220 Associates Blvd. Alcoa, TN.