A U.S. Department of Labor investigation found that Clean Harbors Environmental Services Inc., a Massachusetts-based environmental and hazardous waste management service provider, failed to properly ventilate a confined space containing organic chemical residue at a customer’s facility in Twinsburg, Ohio, resulting in a worker fatality.
The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined the employer failed to implement legally mandated permit-required space entry requirements. Specifically, OSHA found that the employer failed to ventilate, test the environment and use non-entry rescue equipment, including a tripod, mechanical winch, and full-body retrieval harness.
OSHA cited Clean Harbors Environmental Services Inc. for violations including three willful and proposed $602,938 in penalties.
Employers can visit OSHA’s website for information about confined space entry safety requirements , and contact the agency for information about OSHA’s compliance assistance resources and for free help complying with OSHA standards .