OSHA Cites Diving Company Following Worker Drowning

[Omaha Steve]

http://safety.blr.com/news.aspx?id=112194

December 22, 2008
OSHA Cites Diving Company Following Worker Drowning

OSHA has cited a diving company in Arlington, Texas, for safety violations carrying $64,400 in proposed penalties. The enforcement action comes in the wake of an investigation in Paris, Texas, in which a diver was killed on the job.

The agency's Dallas area office began looking into the May 13 incident that took place at a water treatment facility.

According to OSHA, a diver's lifeline became entangled in the water pump of a 500,000-gallon in-ground tank. The company was cited with two alleged willful violations. They were for failure to conduct a safety and health assessment for surface and underwater conditions when planning diving operations, and failure to brief dive team members on hazards or conditions that might affect the safety of an operation. Three serious citations were issued as well.

"The employer failed to ensure appropriate safety procedures were followed for entry into a permit-required confined space and failed to control the hazardous energy that ultimately took this employee's life," said Area Director Stephen Boyd.