OSHA Cites Shipyard Company After Fire

OSHA fined an shipyard company in Ohio $164,000 after investigators determined it exposed workers to fire and other hazards. 

A large fire erupted aboard the commercial cargo ship Cuyahoga while a crew was working on the ship in March 2024.  

The vessel was moored at the Port of Ashtabula on Lake Erie at the time of the incident.

The U.S. Coast Guard responded and referred the incident to OSHA inspectors.

The Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board also opened investigations into the incident.

Disaster Averted

OSHA Inspectors determined the fire started while a worker for South Marine Systems LLC was using welding equipment to remove paint in the vessel’s hold.

They said crewmembers were on lunch break and avoided being trapped below decks.

“Fate, not South Marine Systems, helped the cargo vessel’s crew avoid disaster,” said OSHA area director Howard Eberts.

“Fate, not South Marine Systems, helped the cargo vessel’s crew avoid disaster.”

OSHA’s Howard Eberts

OSHA found the company did not designate a competent person able to identify hazards.

They said the company also failed to have a marine chemist present to test for hazards before welding started. 

And, they determined South Marine Systems did not stop work to assess hazardous conditions and risks after small fires began.

Violations

“The company’s failure to comply with basic safety requirements for welding operations and working in confined spaces exposed workers to fires, asphyxiation and other dangers,” said Eberts.

OSHA cited the company for 16 violations and proposed $164,540 in penalties. 

“South Marine Systems must review its training program and its work operations immediately.”

Eberts

Eberts also said “South Marine Systems must review its training program and its work operations immediately to make certain everyone on their work crews can recognize hazards and safely respond to emergencies.”

South Marine Systems LLC is based in Pascagoula, Mississippi and has offices in Westlake, Ohio. 

OSHA gave the company 15 days to either comply, contest, or request an informal conference on the penalties.