Oklahoma Employer Faces Citations After Worker’s Asphyxiation

Oil industry servicer C&M Roustabout Services LLC faces 16 serious violations and proposed penalties of $103,232 after an employee died of asphyxiation in McClain County, Okla., the US Labor Department announced Monday.

The worker lost consciousness after entering a permit-required confined space to fix a leaking valve in a production tank, the agency said. Two other workers attempted a rescue but were unsuccessful.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors found that C&M Roustabout Services failed to evaluate the tank for hazardous conditions and didn’t use protective systems to prevent worker injuries. The employer was cited for allowing employees to ...