A fine of $226,000 has been proposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration against Dedicated TCS LLC. That Illinois tank-cleaning company is based in Lansing, Illinois, and has other facilities in Channahon, Illinois, and New Orleans, Louisiana.
The fine is for safety rule violations that occurred in New Orleans that, according to OSHA, resulted in the death of a worker. The area director for OSHA in Baton Rouge said, “Dedicated TCS continues to ignore crucial safety procedures for working in confined space. This is the fourth time OSHA has found this employer in violation of federal safety standards. Sadly, the company’s inaction has cost a man his life.”
Two previous inspections resulted in fines of $142,100 in 2012 and $79,464 in 2014. The 2014 inspection at the Channahon facility, according to the director of the Calumet City area, was the third time OSHA had found safety violations in just two years. During the 2014 inspection, there were two serious violations and seven repeat violations found.
The incident that resulted in the latest penalties occurred in October 2015. The company didn’t test the railroad tank car’s atmosphere before the workers went to clean it and the workers’ harnesses didn’t have rescue lines attached. As a result, one employee died and two others were hospitalized.
When a worker is injured on the job, he or she is entitled to benefits from workers’ compensation. When a worker is killed, the family of the worker is entitled to death benefits. In some cases, a third party lawsuit may be filed to recover additional damages, although, there are specific criteria that must be met to file such a case.
Source: bcdemocrat.com, “OSHA: Company ignored safety rules, ‘cost a man his life’,” April 06, 2016
