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

Section 5(a)(1) of Public Law 91-596, 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 the hazard of being struck by flying metal shrapnel and petroleum lubrication oil when on or about December 12, 1999, at First Chemical Corporation, Pascagoula, MS; Area 1400, C-1437; the portion of the Kinney Model KT-850 Vacuum Pump containing the oil observation glass exploded when compressed gas was introduced into the pump during a pneumatic leak test when: a) The vacuum pump was neither disconnected from the piping, isolated by blinds, nor a valve with a closure mechanism required during a pneumatic leak test performed on newly installed process piping for the mechanical vacuum pump. (Reference ASME B31.3, Chapter VI, Paragraph 345.3.4). b) Requirements were not established for design, construction, examination, inspections and testing of the process piping to the vacuum pump to ensure compliance with manufacturer recommendations and requirements of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Code for Pressure Piping, B31. (Reference Kinney Vacuum Manual 1843, Single Stage Vacuum Pumps Series KT, and ASME B31.3, Chapter 1, Paragraph 300 (b)(1). c) A pressure relief device was not provided for use during a required pneumatic leak test of the newly installed process piping for the mechanical vacuum pump. (Reference ASME B31.3, Chapter VI, Paragraph 345.1(b) and 345.5.). Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hszard is to assure that for future installations, equipment which is not to be tested is either disconnected from the piping, isolated by blinds, or a valve including a closure mechanism is installed; requirements are established for construciton, examination, inspection and testing of the process piping; and where a hydrostatic leak test is considered impracticable, particular care must be taken to minimize the chance of brittle failure during a pneumatic leak test, including the assurance that a pressure relief device is provided, and required during the testing in accordance with engineering design criteria, manufacturer recommendations, and ASME B31.3-1996, Process Piping, an American National Standard.