A Texas-based oil and gas company has been cited for six serious safety and health violations after an employee died from breathing toxic fumes while working near a sump pit, the U.S. Department of Labor announced March 15. 

Production Waste Solutions LLC was found to have "exposed employees to serious chemical hazards" by the DOL's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) after an incident in September when an employee, who "was skimming and suctioning out sludge water and oil byproducts from the pit" was fatally exposed to hydrogen sulfide, according to the DOL news release.

“Hydrogen sulfide exists in oil and gas deposits, and it occurs naturally in sewers, manure pits, well water, and oil and gas wells, which is one of the reasons work in confined spaces is potentially dangerous,” said OSHA Area Director Diego Alvarado. “This terrible loss could have been prevented if Production Waste Solutions LLC had followed established safety procedures and provided federally required training and equipment.”

OSHA cited Production Waste Solutions for violations including exposing employees to inhalation hazards; failing to train employees on hazards associated with hydrogen sulfide exposure; failing to provide a quick body drench or eye flush station for employees in the immediate work area where corrosive materials were present; failing to perform a hazard assessment to determine the necessity of personal protective equipment; failing to protect employees from fall hazards of more than four feet; and failing to protect employees from coming into contact with energized circuits, the news release reports.

OSHA accessed $39,064 in penalties against the company, which are set by federal statute. 

Production Waste Solutions, located approximately 175 miles east of El Paso, has 15 business days from the receipt of citations and penalties to respond to the charges, the DOL reports.