The Occupation Health and Safety Administration cited a local barge company for 40 safety violations after a flash fire left two workers dead in April at its facility in Freeport.
Texas Barge & Boat Inc. was cited with one willful and 39 serious violations and fined approximately $220,000 after an investigation by federal investigators. The company must comply with or contest the citations and penalties within 15 days.
Two workers were killed when sparks ignited fumes in the “hopper space” of the barge, which was in dry dock when the incident occurred, according to OSHA’s report. The men were doing cutting work in the area, between the cargo hold and the bottom plate of the vessel.
The willful violation was for not having an employee conduct an air monitoring test before the men entered the area and accounted for about 25 percent of the fine. Some of the serious violations were corrected during the OSHA inspection, the federal agency reported.
The maritime lawyers at Maintenance and Cure represent barge workers and other maritime workers who have been injured while on the job.
