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

The alleged violations have been grouped because they involve similar or related hazards that may increase the potential for injury resulting from an accident. %% 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 to employees in that employees were exposed to being struck by flying objects while performing work tasks on pressure vessel: %% (a) 3100 K Street NW - On or about 06/02/92, an employee was struck in the head with a steel access cover panel and was killed instantly when he unlatched a victaulic fitting which secured the access panel onto the pressure vessel. The employee, involved in sand blasting operations, did not release the pressure in the vessel before performing this task. %% One feabible and useful means of abatement, among others, would be to: (1) establish a program consisting of energy control procedures and employee training, to ensure that before any employee performs work tasks on a pressure vessel where the unexpected release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, the equipment would be rendered inoperative; (2) Conduct annual inspections of the pressure vessel as required by District of Columbia Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code 13B, Section 103, para. 103.1; (3) Provide a pressure indicating devise at the operator's work area; (4) Provide a fitting that would prohibit the closure from being fully opened until the pressure was relieved from the vessel.