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

KRS 338.031(1)(a): 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: a.As stated in the Handbook of Compressed Gases, third edition , Compressed Gas Association Inc. Inert gases such as ...,nitrogen,... are simple asphyxiants which can displace oxygen in the air, which is necessary to sustain life, and can cause rapid suffocation due to oxygen deficiency. Inert gases handled as cryogenic liquids can, if released, generate extremely large volumes of inert gas which can rapidly displace oxygen in the atmosphere. For example one volume of liquid nitrogen at its boiling temperature at 1 atmosphere vaporizes to 696.5 volumes of nitrogen gas when warmed to room temperature (70 degrees F at 1 atmosphere). Therefore, any time there is a leak or spill of inert gas, there is a serious hazard of oxygen deficiency in the atmosphere. The cold boil-off vapors of these inert gases can generally be seen as a fog due to condensing moisture in the air. However, these vapors quickly transform into invisible inert gas at room temperature. A new line in the IQF department designated line 6 uses liquid nitrogen to quick freeze chicken. The company had not performed any air sampling in the area to determine if oxygen levels were with in normal limits prior to August 17, 1999 when the CSHO brought this hazard to the employers attention. The Energy Services Manager then used the companys multi-gas meter to determine oxygen levels in the line 6 IQF department. Oxygen level readings were taken at floor, waist and head levels. Oxygen levels taken on August 17, 1999 showed two areas in the IQF area, line 6 to be at 19.9and 19.5oxygen. An oxygen deficient atmosphere is considered to exist when oxygen levels are below 19.5 Employees normally work on a platform next to the line, however, they must exit to the floor to exit the area. By exiting to the floor level employees must expose themselves to the potential oxygen deficient atmosphere created by the cloud of cold nitrogen gas generated from the use of liquid nitrogen. Maintenance workers maintain and repair the system exposing them to the potential oxygen deficient atmosphere. The employer has not installed an alarm system that will inform and warn employees of low oxygen levels in this area. The alarm is to notify employees of a Immediately dangerous to life or health situation and that the area needs to be evacuated. The purpose of this standard is to ensure that the employer has provided a place of employment that is free of all recognizable hazards. Oxygen levels reported on August 17, 1999 by the employers Energy Services Manager were as low as 19.5oxygen. The employer has not installed a continuous means to inform exposed employees of when a dangerous situation concerning low oxygen levels occurs in an area such as an full time oxygen level alarm. In addition the employer must provide a means to ensure the safe exit of employees from the area in the event that an accidental release of liquid nitrogen in the area occurred. The employer may either install emergency ventilation of the area operated by oxygen sensors or provide and trainemployees in the use of emergency escape respirators, since under conditions where a release of liquid nitrogen occurs the oxygen levels would be expected to drop rapidly.