Region 6 News Release: 11-138-DAL
Feb. 9, 2011
Contact: Elizabeth Todd Juan Rodriguez
Phone: 972-850-4710 972-850-4709
E-mail: todd.elizabeth@dol.gov rodriguez.juan@dol.gov

US Labor Department's OSHA cites oil and gas field service company and its
subsidiaries in Louisiana with injury and illness recordkeeping violations

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Superior Energy Services Inc., SESI LLC, and five subsidiary companies in Louisiana with 38 violations of the OSHA recordkeeping standard. Proposed penalties total $337,500.

OSHA's Baton Rouge office initiated its investigation on Aug. 10, 2010, after receiving a complaint alleging that employees' work-related injuries and illnesses were not being recorded in the OSHA 300 log. Employers are required to record fatalities as well as all significant injuries and illnesses, including the number of days away from work, the days of job transfer or any restriction that results from the injury or illness.

"OSHA's standards for accurate workplace injury and illness records must be followed to protect workers' health and safety," said Dorinda Folse, director of OSHA's Baton Rouge Area Office. "These records are needed to prevent future hazards."

The five subsidiary companies and citations are as follows: Fastorq LLC in Harvey was cited with five willful and one other-than-serious violation with penalties of $130,500; H.B. Rentals LC in Broussard was cited with five willful and one other-than-serious violation with penalties of $40,500; Production Maintenance Industries LLC in Morgan City was cited for five willful and one other-than-serious violation with penalties of $40,500; Superior Energy Services LLC in New Orleans was cited with nine willful and two other-than-serious violations with penalties of $66,600; and Warrior Energy Services Corp. in Broussard was cited for eight willful and one other-than-serious violation with penalties of $59,400.

A willful violation exists when an employer has demonstrated either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the law or plain indifference to employee safety and health. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm. Together, the violations cited include 187 instances of improperly recording or failing to record information in the OSHA log.

Each of the five subsidiary companies is wholly-owned by Superior Energy Services Inc., a publicly-traded holding company based in New Orleans that specializes in providing oil and gas field services and labor, in the U.S. and internationally. Superior Energy Services also owns SESI LLC. SESI employs the corporate executive team, which is comprised of employees who oversee the subsidiary operating companies. The responsibility to ensure proper recordkeeping is shared by the subsidiaries and the parent corporation.

Superior Energy Services Inc., SESI LLC and the subsidiaries have 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director in Baton Rouge or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Employers and employees with questions about workplace safety and health standards can call OSHA's Baton Rouge office at 225-298-5458 or the agency's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) to report workplace incidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

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U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The information above is available in large print, Braille, audiotape or disc from the COAST office upon request by calling 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755.