Mississippi steel pipe manufacturer cited for failures that led to worker death

The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into a settlement agreement with a Mississippi steel pipe manufacturer with a long history of safety failures to correct recent conditions that led to a 25-year-old employee’s fatal injuries.

An OSHA investigation found Jindal Tubular USA had not established safe practices for storing and stacking pipes, resulting in a tragic incident where 2,000-pound pipes collapsed, fatally injuring one worker and causing life-altering injuries to a 20-year-old laborer, who subsequently lost both legs.

OSHA cited the company, which manufactures and coats large diameter steel pipes at its 155-acre facility in Bay Saint Louis, and has more than 400 employees, for failing to ensure stacked pipes were stable and secure against collapse.

Inspectors also identified three repeat violations that included failing to provide machine guarding, inspect or test electrical insulating protective gloves periodically, and prevent slipping hazards.

The company was cited for 26 serious violations that included failing to ensure guardrails or covers were in place at open pits to protect employees from fall hazards, allowing accumulation of combustible dust on surfaces and failing to label exit doors to facilitate safe egress in the event of a fire.

With the latest violations, Jindal Tubular USA has been cited for 46 OSHA safety violations in the last five years.

“Jindal Tubular’s repeated failure to provide employees with a safe workplace has been truly disturbing,” said OSHA Area Office Director Courtney Bohannon. “We hope this settlement signals a new willingness to make employee safety the centerpiece of its operations.”

As part of the agreement negotiated by OSHA and the Office of the Solicitor, Jindal Tubular USA will withdraw its challenge to the citations and pay $442,815 in penalties.