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

Section 6(a) of the Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and Health Act: 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 physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to: Seccion 6(a) de la Ley de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo de Puerto Rico: El patrono no proveyo empleo y un sitio de empleo libre de riesgos reconocidos que esten causando o que puedan causar muerte o dano fisico a los empleados, por cuanto empleados estaban expuestos a: At the combustible reserve tank R-4 located in the Thermoelectric Central in Palo Seco, employees had to take measurements of the combustible level in the measurement point located in the roof of the tank. The tank meassurements were the following: Diameter 156 feet, height 44.5 feet, roof plate gauge 1/4 inch. The tank was installed in 1970. Some parts of the roof were corroded and had holes . The roof thickness of the tank was tested with a Ultrasonic Thicness Gauge trademark Krautkramer Branson, Model HT400A/400. It was found that 50of the measurements indicated a loss of 0.09 inch or more of the original nominal thickness in an area of 100 square inches . The API standard in section 2.2.1.2 establish: " Roof plates corroded to an average thickness of less than 0.09 inch in any 100 square inches area of roof plates with any holes through the roof plate shall be repaired or replaced. The employer did not made inspection of the complete surface of the roof to determine if there were parts of the roof that had less than 0.09 inch in the roof plate thickness. Hazard: Collapse of roof plates and fall into the tank. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to correct this hazard is to follow the instructions given in the API 653, Section 2.2.1.2 standard. En el tanque de reserva de combustible R-4 localizado en la Central Termoelectrica de Palo Seco, empleados tenian que tomar lecturas del nivel del combustible en el punto de muestreo localizado en el techo del tanque. Las medidas del tanque eran las siguientes: Diametro 156 pies, altura 44.5 pies, espesor de las planchas del techo 1/4 de pulgada. El tanque fue instalado en 1970. Algunas partes del techo estaban corroidas y tenian huecos. El espesor del tanque fue verificado con un equipo de Muestreo Ultrasonico de Espesor marca Krautkramer Branson, Modelo HT400A/400. Se encontro que un 50% de las lecturas indicaron una perdida 0.09 pulgada o mas del espesor nominal original en un area de 100 pulgadas cuadradas. El estandar API en la seccion 2.2.1.2 establece: " Planchas del techo que se hayan corroido en promedio de 0.09 pulgada de espesor en cualquier area de 100 pulgadas cuadradas con huecos a traves de la plancha del techo, tiene que ser reparada o reemplazada. El patrono no realizo una inspeccion de la superficie completa del techo del tanque para determinar si habian partes del techo en que su espesor se habia reducido en menos de 0.09 pulgadas de espesor. Riesgo: Colapso de planchas del techo y caidas dentro del tanque. Entre otros metodos, un metodo factible y aceptable para corregir este riesgo es seguir las instrucciones dadas en la norma API 653, Seccion 2.2.1.2.