PCE Petroleum Contractors Enterprises Inc. was cited for 12 serious OSHA violations and fined $60,242 after an employee died in July 2025 from benzene and toluene exposure after entering a fuel storage tank without a confined space entry permit, atmospheric evaluation, or respiratory protection.

PCE Petroleum Contractors Enterprises Inc. — Worker Dies in Fuel Tank, No Confined Space Program (2025–2026)

Outcome: An employee of PCE Petroleum Contractors Enterprises Inc. died in July 2025 after entering a fuel storage tank in Lake Worth, Florida without a confined space entry permit, atmospheric testing, or respiratory protection; OSHA cited 12 serious violations and proposed $60,242 in penalties.

In July 2025, an employee of PCE Petroleum Contractors Enterprises Inc., a Land O' Lakes, Florida petroleum tank services contractor, entered a fuel storage tank at a Lake Worth worksite to perform cleaning or maintenance work. The employee was fatally exposed to benzene and toluene inside the tank.

OSHA's investigation found the company had no confined space entry program at all — no procedures, no permit system, no atmospheric evaluation process, no written respiratory protection program, and no hazard communication documentation specifically addressing benzene and toluene exposures. The 12 serious violations cited by OSHA covered each of these absent controls. The agency proposed a penalty of $60,242. The company contested the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Primary Source: US Department of Labor cites Florida petroleum tank services contractor after worker succumbs to injuries from exposure to toxic chemicals