As he had many other days, the morning shift welder arrived at 5 a.m. to work on Aug. 28, 2023. Tasked with doing some fabrication work in a 4-foot by 8-foot space in a ship’s hull, the employee began work unaware that fatal suffocation would soon end his life.
Less than two hours after entering the ship, a supervisor found the unconscious welder and signaled for help, only to fall unconscious as well.
A third employee appeared, alerting EMS and the local Fire Department, who soon transported all three workers to a nearby hospital.
Despite emergency treatment, the welder died from a lack of oxygen. The supervisor and the third worker received medical treatment and were released.
OSHA CSHOs determined the employer exposed workers to oxygen deficiency by sending the welder into a confined space without testing the air for oxygen content. The presence of welding gas in the space created an oxygen-deficient atmosphere.
OSHA investigators found that in addition to a lack of oxygen, the shipbuilder also exposed workers to struck-by and crushing hazards by failing to conduct annual inspections of six cranes. The agency cited the company with four serious violations and has proposed $55,539 in penalties, an amount set by federal statute.
The company has contested the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Citations are below…
