Handyman fired after ceiling full of rats falls on him
- 4 years ago
NEW YORK — A New York handyman whose bosses skimped on safety gear had a ceiling full of rats collapse on him, only to get a hospital stay and termination for his trouble.
According to a lawsuit obtained by the New York Post, Robert Petersen had been tasked with installing a new wall at a West 147th Street building.
Since it involved dealing with rat droppings, he asked his boss for safety gear, but was shot down and told not to be a baby about it.
The 45-year-old said his boss, Crystal Fernandez, made it sound like he'd get axed if he didn't do the work, so he did, even without the proper gear.
Petersen claims he was cleaning rat droppings and urine on soaked pieces of insulation, and was surrounded by rodents — both dead and alive — while he was working.
After 16 hours of working that filthy job, he was then called to repair a leaking hole in a ceiling — again without any gear on him.
This time, the poor man had to stick his head in the hole and deal with all the rats running around his head.
While pulling down a board from the ceiling, the whole thing collapsed on him, raining down rats, droppings, and all things nasty and disgusting.
Peterson got itchy welts on his face and arms and began vomiting. He had to check into the hospital for a week, during which his lovely boss threatened to give him the boot.
According to court documents, Petersen filed a complaint with OSHA over his filthy work conditions. He was fired 10 days after returning from work, but only told it was "not going to work out."
The lawsuit alleges that the handyman's termination was in direct retaliation for his OSHA complaint.
Here's hoping Peterson's crappy boss and company get what's coming to them.
According to a lawsuit obtained by the New York Post, Robert Petersen had been tasked with installing a new wall at a West 147th Street building.
Since it involved dealing with rat droppings, he asked his boss for safety gear, but was shot down and told not to be a baby about it.
The 45-year-old said his boss, Crystal Fernandez, made it sound like he'd get axed if he didn't do the work, so he did, even without the proper gear.
Petersen claims he was cleaning rat droppings and urine on soaked pieces of insulation, and was surrounded by rodents — both dead and alive — while he was working.
After 16 hours of working that filthy job, he was then called to repair a leaking hole in a ceiling — again without any gear on him.
This time, the poor man had to stick his head in the hole and deal with all the rats running around his head.
While pulling down a board from the ceiling, the whole thing collapsed on him, raining down rats, droppings, and all things nasty and disgusting.
Peterson got itchy welts on his face and arms and began vomiting. He had to check into the hospital for a week, during which his lovely boss threatened to give him the boot.
According to court documents, Petersen filed a complaint with OSHA over his filthy work conditions. He was fired 10 days after returning from work, but only told it was "not going to work out."
The lawsuit alleges that the handyman's termination was in direct retaliation for his OSHA complaint.
Here's hoping Peterson's crappy boss and company get what's coming to them.