OSHA has cited both a contractor and the operator of a natural gas processing plant in Houston, Pennsylvania, following a fire that killed one worker and left three others badly burned.

The agency cited Energy Transportation LLC, the company contracted to clean lines and vessels at the plant, for violations of the process safety management (PSM) standard, and for exposing employees to flammable vapor and liquid while they off-loaded waste material from a vessel into a mobile tank.

OSHA also inspected MW Logistics Services LLC, the host employer that operates the natural gas processing plant. The agency cited the company for violations of PSM standards, and for failing to inspect the facility’s energy control procedures at least annually.

Energy Transportation LLC faces penalties totaling $51,148.  MW Logistics Services LLC faces $47,360 in penalties.

“This tragedy could have been prevented if the employer had followed safety processes to control the release of gases from highly hazardous chemicals,” said OSHA Area Director Christopher Robinson, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

OSHA offers employers compliance assistance resources related to process safety management.