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 death or serious physical harm: Explosion hazard. Failure to notify to determine underground facilities at site of excavation. Employees were testing a tractor/trencher. During the testing, the tractor/trencher made a five feet deep excavation which cut into a pressurized natural gas pipeline. The cut into the pipeline created an explosion that caused the death of the employee operating the unit. The incident and operational testing was conducted at the Vanbebber rock quarry test site located northwest of the city on February 8, 2002. The required and acceptable abatement method to correct the hazard is to first notify the Oklahoma One-Call System to determine whether any operators have underground facilities in or near the proposed area of excavation. ***Certification and Documentation of Abatement Required***on