Getty Images
Ehstoday 10158 Gavelthumbnail 5e5413aeecdcc

Dana Rail Care Receives Additional Penalties Following Fatality

Feb. 24, 2020
The company is part of OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program.

Dana Rail Care, a Wilmington, Del.-based rail service provider, is facing an additional $371,276 in fines following an OSHA inspection.

Investigators searched the company's tank rail car cleaning and repair facility in August 2019 after receiving a complaint of numerous safety and health hazards.

The agency found numerous electrical and explosion hazards, insufficient means of egress, use of defective powered industrial trucks, lack of medical clearance for respiratory protection use, improper use of respirators and inadequate secondary air supply and lack of signage in a silica-regulated area.

This is not Dana's first recent run-in with OSHA.

In May 2019, a 29-year-old Justin Fields was servicing a rail car containing crude oil sludge in Pittston, Penn. Fields lost consciousness died due to asphyxiation.

Following the accident, OSHA cited Dana Railcare for four willful and three serious violations for failing to protect employees from the hazards of entering permit-required confined spaces, and inadequate respiratory protection procedures. 

The agency also placed the company in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program. 

"Companies are legally required to test and monitor confined spaces for oxygen content before and during entry to confined spaces," said Mark Stelmack, OSHA Wilkes-Barre area director.

In the fatality case, the agency proposed more than $550,000 in penalties, which Dana Rail Care contested.

“Failure to comply with OSHA standards leaves employees vulnerable to dangers that can cause serious and potentially fatal injuries,” said OSHA Area Director Erin Gilmore, in Wilmington, Delaware. “Employers have an obligation to provide a safe and healthful workplace for their workers.”

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and 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

About the Author

Stefanie Valentic

Stefanie Valentic was formerly managing editor of EHS Today, and is currently editorial director of Waste360.

Sponsored Recommendations

Committing to Safety: Why Leadership’s Role in Safety Excellence is Key

Jan. 13, 2025
Leadership has the power to transform an organization through their behavior and vision, which can result in the creation of an organizational culturethat supports safety excellence...

Speak Up! Cementing "See Something, Say Something" to Drive Safety

Jan. 13, 2025
Many organizations promote "see something, say something" to encourage their people to intervene and make work safe. But most don't go far enough to equip teams with the skills...

The Truth and Challenges of Cultivating Chronic Unease

Jan. 13, 2025
DEKRA announces its latest white paper, “The Truth and Challenges of Cultivating Chronic Unease,” as a definitive look into why being vulnerable to incidents strengthens our commitment...

Mitigating Risks: Strategies for Safeguarding Workers in Hazardous Workplaces

Jan. 13, 2025
Join our expert team in taking on the challenge to make safety part of your organization’s DNA as work, the workforce, and workplaces evolve.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!