Oklahoma Contractor Faces $103K in Fines After Fatal Workplace Asphyxiation *Centurion Insurance AFS*

An Oklahoma City employer’s failure to follow federal safety procedures left a 30-year-old worker suffering fatal asphyxiation as they tried to make repairs inside a water tank at a McClain County wellsite in September 2023, a federal investigation has found.

Responding to the report of a fatality in Purcell, investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined the worker had entered a permit-required confined space to fix a leaking bulkhead valve in a production tank and then lost consciousness. Two co-workers entered the tank in a failed rescue attempt and suffered effects from exposure to low atmospheric conditions. Neither sustained injuries.

OSHA investigators found the employer, C&M Roustabout Services LLC failed to evaluate the tank for hazardous conditions – including testing the atmosphere – and did not use protective systems to prevent worker injuries, a violation of federal regulations.

Further investigation determined the remaining water in the tank contained compounds — including ethyl benzene, xylene, trimethylbenzene, isobutane and other cyclic aliphatic compounds — and atmospheric readings inside showed low oxygen content, volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide, all of which can lead to asphyxiation.

The company faces $103,232 in proposed penalties for its violations.

Headquartered in Pauls Valley, C&M has provided roustabout services to Oklahoma’s oil industry since 2008.

Source: OSHA

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