Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: EXPLOSION

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to: a) The hazard of an inability of employees of Tri-State Oil Field Services, Inc. to escape the R. & H. - Travis #3 Oil/Gas Well location in the event of intermittent or uncontrolled eruptions of hydrogen sulfide and/or flammable/uncontrolled eruptions of hydrogen sulfide and/or hydrocarbon gases, due to there being no system present to warn employees of toxic or explosive levels of such gases. This occurred thoughout the period between 4/24/90 to 5/29/90 at the well which is located in Section 6, Tion, R9W, JasperCounty, Mississippi. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to correct this hazard would be the installation of a continuous environmental monitoring system which would have sensors to detect the presence of hydrogen sulfide, methane, and other hydrocarbon gases, and which would automatically acivate alarms, which would alert employees to the danger. This warning would allow only personnel essential to well control operations to remain on location to initiate the emergency action plan, as specified in Section 3.2 through 3.4 of A.P.I. RP-49: Recommended Practices for Safe Drilling of Wells Containing Hydrogen Sulfide, Section Edition, 5/15/87, and Rule #66, Section 5, Paragraph (b)(1) - (b)(11)(i) of the State Oil and Gas Board State of Mississippi, revised 7/1/86.