St. John's Ship Building Inc. was cited for four serious OSHA violations and fined $55,539 after a welder died from asphyxiation in August 2023 when he entered a confined space in a ship's hull without atmospheric testing and was overcome by an oxygen-deficient atmosphere created by welding gas; a supervisor who attempted rescue also lost consciousness.

St. John's Ship Building Inc. — Welder Asphyxiated in Ship Hull Confined Space (2023–2024)

Outcome: A welder at St. John's Ship Building Inc.'s Palatka, Florida facility died in August 2023 from asphyxiation after entering a four-by-eight-foot ship hull confined space without atmospheric testing; a supervisor who attempted rescue also lost consciousness; OSHA cited four serious violations and proposed $55,539 in penalties.

On August 28, 2023, a welder employed by St. John's Ship Building Inc. in Palatka, Florida entered a 4-foot by 8-foot confined space in a ship's hull without testing the atmosphere first. Welding gas had accumulated inside, creating an oxygen-deficient atmosphere. The worker was overcome and died from asphyxiation. A supervisor who entered to attempt a rescue also lost consciousness; a third worker was involved. OSHA determined the company failed to follow "proper maritime industry protocols" for confined space entry.

OSHA cited four serious violations: failure to test the confined space atmosphere for oxygen content before entry, failure to implement a proper confined space entry program including hazard assessment and entry procedures, and failure to conduct required annual inspections of six cranes at the facility (which created separate struck-by and crushing hazard exposure for workers). OSHA proposed $55,539 in penalties.

Primary Source: US Department of Labor cites Florida shipbuilder after welder dies in oxygen-deficient confined space