OSHA cites marine cargo company for poor safety practices after Panama City worker's death

PANAMA CITY − The U.S. Department of Labor says failed safety practices by an Alabama marina cargo contractor might have been the cause of a Panama City resident's death.

According to a news release from the Labor Department, a 28-year-old Panama City resident was killed in September while hoisting about two tons of paper onto a boat for Premier Bulk Stevedoring LLC. The incident occurred in a ship's cargo hold in Panama City.

An investigation by the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration found the incident might have happened because the company allowed operation of cargo cranes without proper training.

"OSHA learned a crane operator lacked a clear view of employees in the hold below as they loaded 7-foot-high rolls of paper five at a time ... when the ship pitched and the load crushed the worker against the vessel's wall," the release reads.

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Premier Bulk Stevedoring LLC, a marina cargo contractor based in Mobile, Alabama, declined to comment on the incident. Representatives from the Labor Department wrote in an email they would not release the victim's name.

The release says that OSHA cited the Alabama company for two serious violations and one repeat violation. The agency issued the company a similar violation in December 2020 "after federal inspectors found a crane operator and worker guiding the driver not in the line of sight of each other."

OSHA also cited the company for failing to ensure the cargo-handling supervisor completed an accident prevention course. The citations resulted in more than $43,700 in penalties.

The release, which was dated March 10, states Premier Bulk Stevedoring LLC had 15 business days from receiving the citations to comply, request a conference with OSHA officials or contest the investigation's findings before OSHA's commission.

"Less than two years ago, OSHA cited Premier Bulk Stevedoring for unsafe loading operations and our investigation into this tragic September 2022 fatality found the company again operating in a dangerous manner," Jose Gonzalez, OSHA area officer director, said in the release. "Their failure to follow established safety procedures caused a young worker to needlessly lose their life."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Premier Bulk Stevedoring cited after fatal Panama City cargo accident