Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 002 Hazard: UNAPOPPROC

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 valves not maintained in good operating condition: On 16 July 2004, three employees worked in the cellar of the A.F. Novian Gas Unit #1, Well No. 2, ID No. 179128. The employees attempted to open the well casing valve by applying an 18 inch pipe wrench to the wheel handle. In accordance with Recommended Practice for Occupational Safety for Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Operations, API RECOMMENDED PRACTICE 54, THIRD EDITION, AUGUST 1999, American Petroleum Institute , section 9.13, Pressure Equipment, sub-section 9.13.4, the casing valve was not evaluated whether it was in good operating condition to have opened and allowed stored pressure to escape via the riser. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to correct this hazard is to develop, implement, and enforce a protocol that includes addressing frozen, stuck, hard to open or close valves and their handles. The protocol should include complete excavation and exposure of valves to be worked on in order to assist in the determination of whether the valves are in good operating condition.