A La Porte, Texas tank cleaning company faces over $800,000 in fines after the company allegedly disregarded federal safety standards that may have protected their employees from hazardous working conditions and prevented another employee from suffering a fatal injury.
In December 2023, the wife and son of an employee at the company grew concerned when he didn’t return after his shift. Later that day, the employee was found unresponsive.
A workplace safety investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined the fallen worker’s employer, Qualawash Holdings LLC – operating as Quala Services LLC – failed to ensure that atmospheric testing was done inside the tank before allowing the 53-year-old employee to enter it. The agency cited the company, whose employees clean tankers used to transport hazardous wastes, for eight repeat violations.
OSHA cited Quala Services for the same violations in June 2020 after two workers succumbed while cleaning inside a tanker truck in November 2019.
Qualawash Holdings LLC faces $810,703 in proposed penalties for its violations.
The La Porte-based company cleans tanker trailers used to transport hazardous waste and has more than 1,400 employees.
The company 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 findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Source: OSHA
Topics Texas
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