In Iowa, Lives Are Only Worth $1,000 Each

This is what gives OSHA a bad name.

State safety officials have fined a central Iowa company $3,000 after three of its workers fell to their deaths from a television tower in May.

Deters Tower Service of Grimes was cited after an investigation showed the workers fell after a rope broke. The Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Agency also said there was no system in place to protect them from such a failure.

The workers were replacing strobe lights on the tower near Oakland in Pottawattamie County when the accident happened.

The owner of the company, Leo Deters of Norwalk, Jason Galles of Des Moines and Jon McWilliams of Cumming fell about 1,200 feet.