The US Department of Labor has reached a settlement deal with a Mississippi steel pipe factory with a lengthy history of safety violations to address recent conditions that resulted in the death of a 25-year-old employee.
According to an OSHA investigation, Jindal Tubular USA failed to establish safe practices for storing and stacking pipes, resulting in a tragic incident in which 2,000-pound pipes collapsed, killing one worker and injuring a 20-year-old laborer, who later lost both legs.
OSHA cited the company, which produces and coats large-diameter steel pipes on a 155-acre site near Bay Saint Louis and employs over 400 people, for failing to verify stacked pipes were solid and secure against collapse.
Inspectors also discovered three recurring violations, which included neglecting to provide machine guarding, failing to regularly inspect or test electrical insulating protective gloves, and failing to prevent slipping hazards.
The company received citations for 26 serious violations, such as failing to label exit doors to ensure safe egress in the event of a fire, failing to install guardrails or covers in open pits to protect employees from fall hazards, and allowing combustible dust to accumulate on surfaces.
Over the past five years, Jindal Tubular USA has received citations for 46 OSHA safety violations, including the most recent ones.
“Jindal Tubular’s repeated failure to provide employees with a safe workplace has been truly disturbing,” said OSHA Area Office Director Courtney Bohannon. “We hope this settlement signals a new willingness to make employee safety the centerpiece of its operations.”
OSHA and the Office of the Solicitor have reached an agreement wherein Jindal Tubular USA will withdraw its challenge to the citations and pay $442,815 in fines.