UPDATE from OSHA case file:
At 12:30 p.m. on February 20, 2020, Employee #1, employed by a structural steel fabricator and erector company, was entering a tank to clean it. The tank had a combination of Ecocure II and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) residues and had been purged with nitrogen. Employee #1 entered the permit-required confined space that contained the residual chemicals and nitrogen to perform the cleaning operations. She was overcome by the oxygen-deficient atmosphere. Employee #2, employed by a chemical distribution company, entered the tank to make a rescue attempt for Employee #1. He was also overcome by the oxygen-deficient atmosphere. Both employees were killed by asphyxiation.
Just this weekend a number of SAFTENG members were discussing what we saw as an increase in PRCS at these transportation tank (tanker trucks and railcars) cleaning businesses. I do not know this as a fact, but it certainly appears that OSHA had the same concerns and this is clearly a wake-up call for the industry. SAFTENG members can clearly see the citations and how methodical this inspection was and how they issued the 17 citations centered around PRCS entries into trailers. Not sure how the citations will stand-up in a legal challenge, but Region V Cleveland Office has certainly made it clear that they have taken off the gloves for this type of business and their PRCS entry practices.
OSHA has issued eleven (11) Willful and six (6) Serious citations totaling $1,565,271 to the employer for issues related to:
- Respiratory Protection
- Permit-Required Confined Spaces
- Hazardous Communications
- Personal Protective Equipment
