The employer of a man who was electrocuted on March 11 at the construction site of the new Pine Bluff High School called the death “a true tragedy” and said the company is awaiting final reports from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Jonathan Rogers, president and owner of North Little Rock’s Arnold & Blevins Electric Co., issued a statement Monday on the death of Chase McCarley, 22. Rogers called an article published on The Pine Bluff Commercial’s website Friday and in the newspaper Saturday about the loss of “one of our family members” accurate.
Fire and emergency personnel performed resuscitative efforts on McCarley by 6:55 a.m., according to a police incident report. He was transported to Jefferson Regional Medical Center but was pronounced dead by a doctor at 7:46 a.m.
“Arnold & Blevins notified OSHA the morning of the incident, and they were on site the same day to begin their investigation, alongside our safety manager and that of East Harding,” Rogers said. East Harding Construction Co. is the contractor of record for the campus at 711 W. 11th Ave.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“We do not have final reports from OSHA at this time, but Arnold & Blevins will be communicating and complying with them over the course of time it takes for them to complete their investigation. In addition to this, several individuals and companies have shown overwhelming support in the form of donations for the family,” he said.
OSHA’s online severe injury reports database only includes searchable reports from Jan. 1, 2015, through July 31, 2025. Fatality data on OSHA.gov range from April 20, 2011, to six months prior to the day of the search.
Rogers said Arnold & Blevins requires all employees to complete OSHA 10 certification, or a 10-hour, entry-level safety training course through the OSHA Outreach Training Program, in its apprenticeship, along with other safety certifications and trainings. According to his obituary, McCarley was pursuing his education at an electrician trade school while working at Arnold & Blevins.
“We do these in the first year of apprenticeship for obvious reasons but to try to put safety front of mind on a daily basis,” Rogers said. “We have procedures and rules in place to ensure safety is our top priority, and we have had almost no lost-time incidents in recent memory, so for such a loss as this is a true tragedy. As we get final reports and see what rules and procedures were not followed, there will be an emphasis across all projects going forward and a ‘safety stand down’ on all projects reviewing what caused the incident to ensure it does not happen again.”
OSHA defines a safety stand-down as “a voluntary event for employers to talk directly to employees about safety.”
Pine Bluff School District Superintendent Jennifer Barbaree said in a statement Monday evening that East Harding made the district aware of the fatality, calling it a “tragic loss.”
“We extend our deepest condolences to the individual’s family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time,” Barbaree said. “We are not aware of the specific details of the incident; however, East Harding has kept us informed and ensured that OSHA was contacted immediately following the incident and that all proper reporting procedures were followed. We were informed that OSHA was on site that same day and has remained involved to ensure the safety of workers on the project and that the incident is thoroughly investigated. To our knowledge, no official report or findings have been provided to East Harding or the subcontractor at this time from OSHA.”
Multiple requests for comment have been left for East Harding.
The high school campus is projected to be substantially complete by June after two years of construction at the site of the previous high school. Students, meanwhile, attend classes at the old Jack Robey Junior High School on Olive Street.
“Our company is proud to be part of the Pine Bluff High School project managed by East Harding Construction, but it will be a project we will never forget with such a tragedy,” Rogers said. “Over our 50-plus year history, we have been very fortunate, but incidents like this remind us that we can never be too safe. The Pine Bluff School District was made aware of the incident but they hired East Harding as the construction manager to handle the project, so all communications with OSHA (have) been between the construction manager, subcontractor and those investigating the project.”