Two workers tragically lost their lives in an accident at the Marine Hydraulics International (MHI) Ship Repair Yard in Norfolk, Virginia, last week.
Emergency services responded to the incident on the Elizabeth River at approximately 7:45 AM on Wednesday.
One worker was pronounced dead at the scene, while another, who was critically injured, was transported to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries several hours later.
MHI issued a statement confirming the fatalities. “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of two shipyard workers.
Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, as well as with the many employees affected at our facility. We are committed to supporting them during this challenging time,” the company stated.
“Safety is our top priority at MHI, and we will collaborate with our team and local authorities to investigate the cause of this incident.”
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has previously cited MHI, issuing three fines in March 2021 for serious violations.
At that time, OSHA reported that loads had not been safely rigged, and synthetic web slings were not properly marked or coded to indicate rated capacities.
These issues contributed to an incident where an employee fractured his foot. Additional reports indicated that the same employee faced a potential 9-foot (2.74-meter) fall while using faulty equipment.
Local authorities are currently investigating both recent incidents as “undetermined deaths.”
MHI Ship Repair is a division of Titan, which succeeded the West Coast shipbuilder Vigor Industrial. The company employs approximately 500 individuals in the Norfolk region.
