U.S. Department of Labor Cites South Carolina Shipyard After Employee Suffers Fatal Injuries at Worksite

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Detyens Shipyards Inc. for failing to protect employees from struck-by and fall hazards. The company faces $37,591 in penalties.

A shackle fatally struck an employee during a lifting operation. OSHA cited the shipyard for failing to ensure employees used a fall protection system when working at heights, and retrain employees exposed to fall hazards. OSHA also cited the shipyard for exposing employees to caught-between hazards by allowing them to enter between a guardrail and a rudder shaft while it was being lifted.

“This tragedy was preventable. Employers must identify and eliminate hazards in the workplace, as required by law,” said OSHA Raleigh Area Director Kimberly Morton.

OSHA’s Shipbuilding and Ship Repair page provides solutions for hazards related to the manufacture, repair, and maintenance of ships.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit https://www.osha.gov.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.