An Office of Health and Safety Administration investigation into a fire that broke out on a drilling platform located in Sabine Pass, Texas, found the two companies operating at the platform violated safety procedures.
The companies did not have proper fire safety plans in place, which resulted in nine workers becoming stranded 30 stories above ground, according to an Aug. 23 news release.
“CAG Professional Services and PH Steel’s failure to implement a fire safety plan exposed workers to serious harm,” OSHA Area Director Mark Briggs said in the release. “These companies are fortunate their non-compliance did not lead to tragedy when a fire erupted on the Pride Wisconsin. In an industry where workers face potentially serious and deadly hazards every day, employers must act quickly to safely evacuate workers and must ensure workers are trained on proper safety procedures.”
Two companies face more than $200,000 in proposed total fees for violating safety standards, the release reported. OSHA said Carlos Arturo Guerrero (CAG) LLC and PH Steel Inc. failed to have proper fire safety procedures in place when a fire broke out at the Pride Wisconsin drilling platform in Sabine Pass.
The Pride Wisconsin drilling platform caught fire Feb. 25 while nine workers were 30 stories off the ground, according to the release. The fire burned generator wires which made it impossible for the workers to lower themselves down. As a result, U.S Coast Guard was called to carry out an air rescue.
The OSHA investigation found CAG LLC did have a fire safety plan, but failed to utilize it when necessary, the release reported. PH Steel Inc. did not have a safety plan.
The proposed penalty for CAG was $140,055, the release said. OSHA proposed $72,511 in penalties against PH Steel Inc.
