Company Cited in Fatality During Underwater Work
OSHA has cited Lucas Marine Acquisition Co., a Florida company, after a worker's death last year.
OSHA announced it has cited Lucas Marine Acquisitions Co. for 22 safety violations following an inspection prompted by a worker's death. The employee died at the City of Fort Pierce Marina (located in Stuart, Fla.) while participating in a storm protection project in August 2013. He was doing surface supplied-air diving during underwater construction activities, according to OSHA.
The agency reports this fatality was the second for the company in only five months. An inspection done by OSHA found the company responsible for allegedly sending construction workers underwater without proper training and adequate equipment. OSHA issued three willful citations, which include failure to ensure workers performing underwater diving operations had adequate experience and training, failure to provide employees engaged in diving operations with two-way voice communication for emergencies, and failure to ensure the designated person in charge was properly trained to oversee dive operations.
The company also was cited for 12 serious violations, which include allegedly failing to provide members of the diving team with CPR training, failing to assess the hazards of underwater conditions, failing to provide divers with a kink-resistant air line during dive operations, and more. Lucas Marine Acquisitions Co. faces a total of $290,000 in proposed penalties.