Company pleads guilty to violations that led to worker’s death
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A New Jersey transportation company has pleaded guilty to workplace safety violations that resulted in a worker’s death, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Dana Container Inc., based in Avenel, New Jersey, pleaded guilty Wednesday to violations of Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules pertaining to individuals working in confined spaces.
On May 31, 2019, one of Dana’s workers was tasked with scraping crude oil from a rail car at a yard in Pittston, Pennsylvania. After about 30 minutes, the worker collapsed inside the car and died on the scene of asphyxiation. OSHA determined the car was oxygen-deficient, and although Dana was aware that the agency’s regulations require the use of a certified respirator for such confined space tasks, the worker had not been provided one, according to the statement.
The Department of Labor charged the company with willfully committing OSHA violations with a maximum penalty of a $500,000 fine and five years of probation.
A magistrate judge from the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania will impose a sentence following a finding of guilt.
