OSHA Cites Company for Multiple Safety Violations Following Cargo Hold Fire in Ohio

Federal safety inspectors found a crew working aboard the Cuyahoga, a commercial iron ore vessel moored at the Port of Ashtabula, narrowly avoided disaster after a large fire erupted as they welded off paint in a cargo hold, an incident their employer could have avoided by following U.S. Department of Labor safety regulations.

Acting on a referral from the U.S. Coast Guard, inspectors with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined the fire began while a worker used welding equipment to remove paint in the vessel’s hold in March 2024. Many crewmembers, who had been working below the cargo hold, were on lunch break at the time and avoided the danger of the fire trapping them below decks.

OSHA found the employer – South Marine Systems of Westlake – did not designate a competent person able to identify hazards, nor had a marine chemist present to test for hazardous atmospheres before welding started. They also determined South Marine Systems did not stop work when small fires began to assess hazardous conditions and risks.

“Fate, not South Marine Systems, helped the cargo vessel’s crew avoid disaster. The company’s failure to comply with basic safety requirements for welding operations and working in confined spaces exposed workers to fires, asphyxiation and other dangers,” explained OSHA Area Director Howard Eberts in Cleveland. “South Marine Systems must review its training program and its work operations immediately to make certain everyone on their work crews can recognize hazards and safely respond to emergencies.”

OSHA has cited the company for 15 serious violations one other-than-serious violation and proposed $164,540 in penalties.

Based in Pascagoula, Mississippi, South Marine Systems LLC has offices in Westlake, Ohio.

Source: OSHA

Topics Workers' Compensation Ohio Trucking