State fines Sanford firm over worker's death

The state Department of Labor has fined a Sanford recycling center in connection with a worker's death in August.

Lee Iron and Metal Co. faces a $3,500 fine for failing to properly secure stored material. The company has 15 business days to appeal the penalty.

Martin Alan Davis, 50, of Sanford, was operating a forklift machine around stacked bales of copper wiring on Aug. 26 when a bale of wire fell on him and killed him, according to authorities.

Bales of coaxial cable, weighing between 1,000 to 5,000 pounds, were stacked five high in the warehouse, officials said. The material stored was not "stacked, blocked, interlocked or limited in height so that it was stable and secure against sliding and collapse," according to a state inspection.