OSHA Investigation Uncovers Violations Following Confined Space Worker Fatality
C&M Roustabout Services LLC now faces more than $103,000 in penalties.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Mar 22, 2024
An OSHA investigation has uncovered serious safety breaches leading to the tragic death of a 30-year-old worker in a confined space at a Oklahoma City wellsite.
According to a release dated March 18, C&M Roustabout Services LLC now faces penalties totaling $103,232 for multiple violations of federal safety measures. Following that September 2023 incident, investigators concluded that the worker entered a permit-required confined space to repair a leaking bulkhead valve in a production tank when they succumbed to fatal asphyxiation.
OSHA inspectors noted that C&M Roustabout Services failed to assess the tank for hazardous conditions, neglected atmospheric testing and lacked protective systems. Other violations include allowing entry into confined spaces without proper evaluation, lack of flame-resistant PPE, and failure to implement testing and ventilation programs.
“This preventable tragedy must serve as a reminder of the importance of complying with safety and health standards,” explained OSHA Area Director Steve Kirby in Oklahoma City. “OSHA has specific requirements for operations such as drilling, servicing and storage to protect people employed in this high-hazard industry. Every employer should make safety and health a core value in their workplaces and ensure their workers are trained properly and provided the required safety equipment.”
C&M Roustabout Services—which received 16 serious citations, including 13 directly related to the worker's death— has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the agency’s findings before an independent commission.
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.