Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 002D 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 - 2350 - JANUARY 2005 Cover Overfill Protection for Storage Tanks in Petroleum Facilities associated with marketing, refining, pipeline, and similar facilities containing petroleum liquids. 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 explosion during 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 2350 -2.2.2. 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 2350 - 2.2.2 Where level detectors are installed at attended facilities, the requirements of Section 3 of this API shall apply. If an electrical or mechanical failure occurs that affects the level detectors, product receipt shall stop and not recommence until (a) detectors are functioning properly, or (b) manual operations and procedures are implemented in accordance with those required 2.1. API - 2350 - ENERO 2005 Abarca Proteccion contra el sobrellenado de tanques de almacenamiento en Facilidades Petroleras asociadas con mercadeo, refinacion, sistema de tuberia y otras facilidades similares que contienen derivados del petroleo a)En "Caribbean Petroleum Refining" en Bayamon (CAPECO), trabajaban treinta (30) 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 inflamables, 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, con capacidades que fluctuaban entre 500 a 500,000 barriles. El patrono no desarrollo procedimientos operacionales seguros para el llenado y transferencia de tanques de acuerdo al API 2350 - 2.2.2. 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 2350 - 2.2.2 en facilidades atendidas donde se han instalado detectores de niveles en los tanques, los requisitos de la Seccion 3 de este API deben aplicar. Si una falla electrica o mecanica ocurriera que afectara el detector de nivel, el recibo de producto debe detenerse y no comenzar nuevamente hasta que (a) los detectores esten funcionando adecuadamente, o (b) procedimientos y operaciones manuales sean implementados de acuerdo con los requeridos en el 2.1.eridos