Omaha railcar cleaning company, two owners charged with violations related to workers’ deaths

Nebraska Railcar Cleaning Services, along with the company’s owner and co-owner, were charged with violating worker safety standards resulting in worker deaths, according to a news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

The release says owner Stephen Michael Braithwaite, and co-owner, Adam Thomas Braithwaite, were charged in a 22-count indictment with conspiracy, violating worker safety standards, violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and submitting false documents to a federal agency. 

The indictment was returned by a grand jury in Omaha, Nebraska, Thursday.

According to the indictment, NRCS and Steve and Adam Braithwaite failed to implement worker safety standards and then tried to cover that up during an inspection by OSHA.

The defendants also mishandled hazardous wastes removed from rail tanker cars during the cleaning process. 

Two of the company’s workers were later killed and another injured when the contents of a railcar ignited while being cleaned.