Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 002 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 to employees in that employees were exposed to: Employees had not been trained sufficiently in the proper operation and use of blowout preventers (B.O.P.'s) and failed to achieve the proper ram block to tubing alignment/closure, (at the T.H.S.U. #281 well, 20 miles S. E. of Midland, Texas) which, resulted in a blowout condition and subsequent well head gas/fuel fire explosion (as did occur on March 8, 1993). Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method would be to ensure that designated rig employees had adequate understanding of and were able to properly operate the blowout preventer system by establishing a (B.O.P.) training and evaluation program.