Oregon’s OSHA has cited ConAgra Foods and NW Metal Fabricators Inc. for a worksite accident in Boardman that took the life of 21-year old Kevin Paul Gregerson early this year. Gregerson, a welder, became a casualty to unsafe work conditions and the lack of safety precautions in a worksite when the steel tank he was attempting to repair exploded, burying him in the debris. It was said that the tank used for potato washing was filled up with gas and that the welding equipment Gregerson used while making the repairs ignited it. The accident took place in February of this year at ConAgra’s food processing plant.

The recent citation by OSHA for the safety violations committed by the two companies has amounted to $90,000 in fines. ConAgra Foods received a $65,000 penalty, while NW Metal Fabricators Inc., Gregerson’s employer and a contractor for the food processing plant, took a $25,000 fine. Both companies were found to have violated a number of workplace and worker safety and health regulations, all of which could have prevented the fatal accident from happening as well as could have saved the life of Gregerson. The two companies in question were both given a month to respond to OSHA’s citations.

To prevent such adverse yet avoidable accidents from happening again, it is crucial to remember and apply the following basic safety rules pertaining to work in confined spaces:

• Confined spaces (e.g., tanks, wells, tunnels) are permit spaces that have limited access and egress and are not intended for human habitation. This is why working in such conditions require special permits as well as specific skills and training for the worker.
• If you are the employer and/or owner of the worksite, make sure that you are aware of all the present hazards. Identify and deal with all the hazards and threats to safety and health. Do not subject your employees to such harmful work conditions without first addressing them. Inform and train your employees on safe work practices and hazard communication.
• Employees who lack the skills and expertise should not (or should refuse to) work under such unsafe and risky conditions. Have in mind that working in confined spaces require permits and sufficient training. Get the permit as well as get trained before getting to work.

Time and again, we all have to remember that accidents in the worksite can be prevented if only everyone takes the initiative to look out for safety first.