OSHA cites company for multiple safety violations following Ohio warehouse fire

Federal safety inspectors found a crew working aboard the Cuyahoga, a commercial iron ore vessel anchored in Ashtabula Harbor, avoided disaster after a large fire broke out while welding paint in a shed, an incident they their employer could have avoided it by pursuing. US Department of Occupational Safety and Health Regulations.

Acting on a tip from the U.S. Coast Guard, inspectors from the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined the fire started while a worker was using welding equipment to remove paint from the ship’s hold in March 2024. Many crew members, who were working under load. hold, they were on their lunch break at the time and avoided the danger of the fire catching them below decks.

OSHA found that the employer – South Marine Systems of Westlake – did not designate a competent person capable of identifying hazards, nor did it have a marine chemist present to test for hazardous atmospheres before welding began. They also determined that South Marine Systems did not stop work when small fires started to assess hazardous conditions and hazards.

“Fate, not South Marine Systems, helped the cargo ship’s crew avoid disaster. The company’s failure to meet basic safety requirements for welding operations and working in confined spaces exposed workers to fire, suffocation and other hazards,” explained OSHA Area Director Howard Eberts in Cleveland. “South Marine Systems must immediately review its training program and work operations to ensure that all members of their work crews can recognize hazards and safely respond to emergency situations.”

OSHA cited the company for 15 serious violations, a non-serious violation, and proposed penalties of $164,540.

Headquartered in Pascagoula, Mississippi, South Marine Systems LLC has offices in Westlake, Ohio.

Source: OSHA

TOPICS
Ohio Trucking Workers Compensation