U.S. Department of Labor’s OSHA cites Tampa, Fla.-based tank cleaning company for 20 safety violations following Savannah, Ga., area fatality

OSHA.gov report:

SAVANNAH, Ga. — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited a local company for 20 serious safety violations.

An employee of the company’s tank washing subsidiary died in August 2007 shortly after entering an oxygen-deficient chemical container at the company’s facilities in Garden City, Ga.

“Employees working in confined spaces need specialized training and the correct equipment to prevent needless deaths, such as that which occurred in this case,” said John J. Deifer, OSHA’s area director in Savannah.

OSHA inspectors found that the Tampa, Fla.-based company committed a number of serious safety violations, including failing to provide its employees with proper training in respiratory protection, not providing them with adequate respiratory equipment for tanks containing air contaminants and failing to monitor the work space prior to entry. These failures directly contributed to the employee’s death from asphyxia.

For more information on this story please visit osha.gov