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 serious physical harm to employees, in that employees were exposed to: a) Employees in the refinery were exposed to the hazards of toxic materials and fire and explosions from the release of flammable materials from the flare stack when performing a manuel relight of the crude unit flare and hydrabond flare. The relighting system was located at the base of the flare and if the flare is out for any period of time flammable vapors could be present. Among other methods, feasible and acceptable method to correct this hazard are: 1) Install a lighting system that would automatically come on and relight the flare whenever it is extinguished. This would eliminate the need to send the operator to the base of the flare. 2) Install a lighting system that is controlled by the operator from the control panel. This would eliminate the need to send an operator to the base of the flare. 3) Install a lighting system that is located a safe distance from the flare stack. Several publications recommend a minimum distance of a hundred feet from the flare stack. This would eliminate the need to send an operator to the base of the flare. A similar system is installed at the coker flare. 4) Have an alternate system that whenever the flare goes out the flammable materials are diverted to one of the other flares on site until the flare can be relit.