The Dakota Scout

Share this post

Feds say Avera fired helicopter mechanic for reporting Careflight safety concerns

www.thedakotascout.com

Feds say Avera fired helicopter mechanic for reporting Careflight safety concerns

Health system ordered to reinstate employee, pay back wages and damages

Joe Sneve
Jun 8, 2023
∙ Paid
8
Share this post

Feds say Avera fired helicopter mechanic for reporting Careflight safety concerns

www.thedakotascout.com
3
Share

Avera McKennan has been ordered to reinstate a Careflight mechanic who federal authorities say was terminated for blowing the whistle on unresolved safety concerns.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration Thursday announced that a federal whistleblower investigation found the Avera helicopter ambulance servicer retaliated against a mechanic who reported safety concerns and filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration.

NEWS: Avera Health to get day in court against Minnesota insurance company

OSHA found that the company’s actions violated federal protections for aviation employees, ordering the organization to reinstate the Aberdeen-based mechanic and to pay the employee more than $30,600 in back wages and $25,000 in damages. The order also forces Avera to remove negative reports from the mechanic’s personnel and employment records.

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to

The Dakota Scout
to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
Previous
Next
© 2023 The Dakota Scout
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing