Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: STRUCK BY

North Carolina General Statute 95-129(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of North Carolina: 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 struck-by hazards: a)facility, employees are required to conduct leak tests of diaphragm, turbine, and rotary gas meters by the use of pressurized air. There are two pressure lines fed from the 100 psi air compressor. One line is equipped with a regulator and gauge and allows from 5-25 psi of air pressure to be used. The second line does not have a regulator gauge and allows 100 psi. Neither of the air pressure lines are labeled. Employees use the pressurized air to fill the meter in order to test for leaks by way of water bath or soapy water. Each gas meter is placarded with the maximum allowable psi that the meter can be subjected. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptible method to abate this hazard is to hard pipe a separate air pressure line for each size gas meter to be leak tested.e