Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 002B Hazard: EXPLOSION

Section 6(a) of the Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and Health Act: 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 physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to: release, fire, and explosion: Seccion 6(a) de la Ley de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo de Puerto Rico: El patrono no proveyo empleo y un sitio de empleo libre de riesgos reconocidos que esten causando o que puedan causar muerte o dano fisico a los empleados, por cuanto empleados estaban expuestos a: escape, fuego y explosion: API - 2610 - MAY 2005 This standard covers Design, Construction, Operation, Maintenance, and Inspection of Terminal & Tank Facilities associated with marketing, refining, pipeline, and other similar activities. The purpose of this standard is to consolidate a wide base of current industry experience, knowledge, information, and management practices into a cohesive standard compromising a range of best practices. a)At Caribbean Petroleum Refining in Bayamon (CAPECO), worked thirty (30) employees performing routine task such as tank operator,waste treatment operator,loading rack operator, among others. Employees were exposed or could be exposed to flammable and combustible release, fire and or explosionduring the performance of their duties. At the tank farm area the employer stored gasoline, jet fuel, fuel oil, and diesel in above ground tanks, ranging from 500 to 500,000 barrels. The employer did not have a formal written operating procedures for safely filling of storage tanks and for the transfering according to API 2610 - 6.3. The employer provided documents that established which valves had to be closed or opened during the fill or transfer operations from tank to tank or from dock to tank, but did not mention in which order to proceed neither indicated any safety measure. (See Binder 3 Tab 2(a) OSHA Production NO. 2 11/20/09 - General instructions for the work to be performed during the shift). (See Binder 4 Tab 5 OSHA Production NO. 2 11/20/09 -Tranfering sheet). Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is: 1.Follow API 2610 - 6.3 Written operating procedures shall be developed to address the routine and non-routine activities, such as emergency shutdown and startup that are conducted during the course of the facilitys business. These procedures specifically include product storage and handling within the facility and all transfer operations. For those activities where significant deviation from procedures could lead to a loss of containmentnof flammable or combustible materials, the potential consequences should be highlighted and safeguards explained in detail in the procedure. API - 2610 - MAYO 2005 Este reglamento abarca el Diseno, Construccion, Operacion, Mantenimiento e Inspecciones de Facilidades de Terminal y Tanques asociadas conmercadeo, refinacion, sistema de tuberia y otras actividades similares. El proposito de este reglamento es consolidar con una base considerable de experiencia en la industria actualizado, conocimiento, informacion y practicas gerenciales en un reglamento consistente comprometiendo una gama de las mejores practicas a)En "Caribbean Petroleum Refining" en Bayamon (CAPECO), trabajaban treinta empleados realizando tareas rutinarias tales como operador de tanque, operador de tratamiento de aguas, operador de area de carga, entre otras. Empleados fueron expuestos o podrian estar expuestos a liberacion de productos quimicos flamables, combustible, fuego y/o explosion durante el desempeno de sus deberes. En el area de la granja el patrono almacenaba en tanques sobre el terreno gasolina,"jet-fuel", "fuel oil" y diesel, que con capacidades de 5,000 a 500,000 barriles. El patrono no desarrollo procedimientos operacionales seguros para el llenado y transferencia de tanques de acuerdo al API 2610 - 6.3. El patrono proveyo documentos que indicaba cuales valvulas iban a estar cerradas o abiertas en una operacion de transferencia de tanque a tanque o de tanque a muelle, pero no indicaban el orden a seguir ni indicaban ninguna medida de seguridad. (Ver Carpeta 3 Pestana 2(a) OSHA PRODUCTION NO. 2 11/20/09 - General Instructions for the work to be performed during the shift). (Ver Carpeta 4 Pestana 5 OSHA PRODUCTION NO. 2 11/20/09 Transfering sheet). Entre varios metodos, un metodo de correccion aceptable y factible para corregir este riesgo es: 1.Seguir el API 2610 - 6.3 los procedimiento de operacion escritos deben ser dirigidos a las actividades rutinarias y no rutinarias, tales como cierre de emergencia y comienzo que son conducidos durante el transcurso normal de operaciones. Estos procedimientos especificamente deben incluir el almacenaje y manejo de estos productos dentro de las facilidades y todas las operaciones de transferencia.e