Opinion ID: 1593912
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Duty to provide a safe work environment.

Text: ¶ 12. Green argues on appeal that Allendale breached its duty to provide him with a reasonably safe work environment by failing to properly maintain and repair the mule boy. This Court has previously held that an employer owes its employees the nondelegable duty to provide its employees with a safe place to work. Monroe County Elec. Power Ass'n v. Pace, 461 So.2d 739, 748 (1984). Green offers no evidence to support his claim that Allendale failed to provide him with a reasonably safe work environment. In fact, his sworn deposition testimony defeats his claim against Allendale. During his deposition, Green admitted that the mule boy was only approximately three to four weeks old. Green also acknowledged that he inspected and performed the general maintenance of lubricating the metering chains attached to the mule boy every day. Green also admits in his appellate brief that between the date of purchase and the accident, Allendale did not make any modifications to the mule boy. ¶ 13. To avoid summary judgment, the non-movant must set forth specific facts that demonstrate a genuine issue of a material fact that merits trial instead of mere unsubstantiated allegations. Richmond v. Benchmark Constr. Corp., 692 So.2d 60, 61 (Miss.1997). Although Green was injured while working on his employer's premises, Allendale did not breach its duty to provide him with a reasonably safe work environment. Green's injuries were the result of his hand getting caught in the moving chains attached to the mule boy. The facts clearly indicate that Allendale was merely an employer who purchased a mule boy. There is no evidence within the record to indicate that Allendale performed any acts or omissions that created an unsafe work-place for Green. Therefore, Allendale is entitled to judgment as a matter of law on this issue. The trial court's grant of summary judgment was appropriate.