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

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 propane gas explosion and fire: (a) On or about January 31, 1993, and at times prior to that date, employees engaged in general work activity in and around the propane storage facility were exposed to the hazards of serious injury, severe burns, and/or death due to the overfilling of the 15,000 gallon propane tank which resulted in exceeding the intended safe capacity of the propane storage tank. (b) On or about January 31, 1993, and at times prior to that date, no physical inspection of the pressure relief valves on the 15,000 gallon propane tank or the other four 30,000 gallon propane tanks was conducted, exposing employees engaged in general work activity in and around the propane storage facility to the hazards of serious injury, severe burns, and/or death caused by a propane gas explosion and fire. (c) On or about January 31, 1993, and at times prior to that date, no tests on the pressure relief valves on the 15,000 gallon propane tank or the other four 30,000 gallon propane tanks were performed to ensure their continued operative condition, exposing employees engaged in general work activity in and around the propane storage facility to the hazards of serious injury, severe burns, and/or death caused by a propane gas explosion and fire. (d) On or about January 31, 1993, and at times prior to that date, a permanent and progressive record of inspections and other maintenance on pressure vessels and appurtenances that may have ensured proper physical inspection, and when required, proper testing of the pressure relief valves on the 15,000 gallon propane tank and the other four 30,000 gallon propane tanks were not being maintained. Feasible and acceptable methods of abatement to correct these hazards would include: 1. A redesigning of the propane storage system to either eliminate the 15,000 gallon tank or replace it with a 30,000 gallon tank so all storage tanks were the same size and would fill equally. 2. An administrative control that would require monitoring of liquid propane deliveries from suppliers. This monitoring would ensure that any and all potentially hazardous conditions, such as the possible overfilling of the storage tanks, could be reported to upper management for their immediate attention and corrective action. 3. To develop and implement a regularily scheduled maintenance program for inspection of the propane storage facility to include all pressure relief valves. External inspection of the pressure relief valves would include, but not be limited to, examining for corrosion, damage, plugging of external safety relief device channels, and mechanical defects such as leakage or extrusion of fusable metals. Valves equipped with secondary resilient seals shall have the seals inspected periodically. The safety relief valves shall be repaired or replaced if there is any doubt regarding the suitability of the device for service. 4. A proper test of the pressure relief valves on all propane storage vessels of more than 2,000 gallons water capacity at intervals not to exceed 10 years as recommended by the National Fire Protection Association or whenever it is suspected or anticipated that the pressure relief valves may have been subjected to pressures above the manufacturer's specifications. 5. The development and implementation of a permanent and progressive record of inspections and other maintenance on pressure vessels and appurtenances to ensure that proper physical inspection, and when required, proper testing of the pressure relief valves on all propane storage tanks of more than 2,000 gallon water capacity is accomplished and documented. These records shall include copies of Manufacturer's Data Reports and other pertinent data records, vessel identification numbers, relief valve information, and such documents as are necessary to record the results of inspections, repairs, alterations, or re-rating. NOTE: Reference the American Petroleum Institute, Pressure Vessel Inspection Code API 510 Third Edition; the Compressed Gas Association, Safety Relief Device Standards, pamphlet S-1.3; the National Fire Protection Association 58, standard for the storage and handling of liquid petroleum gases; and any other federal, state, and local codes, rules, and regulations.