Federal safety officials have proposed $40,000 in penalties against a shotcrete contractor whose diver became unresponsive and died on the employee’s first day of work last June at the William B. Umstead. Memorial Bridge on Croatan Sound in Dare County, North Carolina
Within seconds of descending to 19 feet, the 47-year-old diver became unresponsive to radio communication. Other members of the four-person dive team quickly brought the diver to the surface and tried to revive their unconscious teammate with CPR while they waited for emergency personnel, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration says USA
The diver has not been publicly identified, nor has the exact cause of death been released.
The contractor, Coastal Gunite Construction, is based in Cambridge, Maryland the death could have been avoided, OSHA claims, if the diver had undergone a medical or fitness examination.
“Ensuring employees are physically fit for commercial diving is a critical part of workplace safety,” OSHA Area Office Director Kim Morton said in a statement.
The agency alleges that Coastal Gunite’s failed to assess the worker’s fitness for diving and failed to ensure that first aid equipment and a manual resuscitator were available on site. In addition, the company allegedly improperly placed an air intake to prevent contamination and failed to perform regular air purity tests on compressor systems and test air hose pressure annually, OSHA said.
The International Diving Contractors Association cites an ANSI standard that calls for 625 hours of training for any new diver or tender and for a medical examination by a doctor qualified for the diving examinationannual re-examinations and examinations after an illness or injury.
Gunita littoral, which also has offices in Tennessee, Florida and North Carolina, could not immediately be reached for comment. Employers have 15 days to decide whether to challenge the safety sanctions. Negotiations often result in reduced fines.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation has been working hard on the bridge that connects Manns Harbor and Roanoke Island in Dare County.
The 69-year-old structure, known locally as Old Manns Harbor Bridge, carries US 64 over Croatan Sound.
The bridge was expected to close for about six months starting last June to allow repairs to the 313 spans and 170 expansion joints as part of a $33 million preservation project that will be completed by the end of of 2026, according to the state.
