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

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: fire and explosion hazards from insufficiently odorized natural gas being used as fuel for recovery boiler burners and igniters due to inadequate odorization procedures. (a)International Paper - Vicksburg Mill, 3737 Highway 3 North, Redwood, MS 39156, Power Plant - On or about Saturday, May 3, 2008 while re-starting the mill's black liquor recovery boiler after an annual outage, employees working round the boiler were exposed to fire and explosion hazards due to no verification that the mill's natural gas supply had been adequately odorized at the mill's gas yard. The gas was being piped to eight class 1 continuous burners and igniters located on four sides of the recovery boiler on the power plant's second floor and to four class 1 continuous burners and igniters located on two sides of the recovery boiler on the power plant's fourth floor. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is to comply with ASME/ANSI/USAS B31.8-1968, Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping Systems, and with USDOT Standard 49 CFR Part 192 - Transportation of Natural and Other Gas by Pipeline: Minimum Federal Safety Standards, specifically Sections 192.601-192.625, to develop a scientifically derived odorant-injection-rate for the amount of gas delivered to the various usage points inside the mill and furthermore establish well-communicated, written control procedures to ensure that testing is done and records are kept for verifying the presence of odorant in the mill's natural gas piping system.