Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 004A Hazard:

29 CFR 1926.352(a): Movable fire hazards in the vicinity of unmovable objects that were to be welded on, cut or heated were not taken to a safe place, or otherwise protected: (a) Dominguez Welding LLC, at Sekich tank battery, Weld County Road 13 and Weld County Road 32, Mead, CO: On 5/25/17, Dominguez Welding LLC did not ensure that movable fire hazards in the vicinity of unmovable pipes that were to be welded on, cut or heated were protected. Dominguez Welding LLC directed and controlled the work of two welder's assistants at a construction project at a crude oil tank battery. Work was performed in and adjacent to an excavation for the produced water pipe from the separator to the produced water tank and for the oil fill pipe, backpressure pipe, and bypass pipe from the separator to crude oil tank #1. The pipes from the excavation were connected to their corresponding vertical pipes (risers) which were connected to crude oil tank #1 near the top of the tank. Crude oil tank #1 was interconnected with both crude oil tank #2 and crude oil tank #3. Each of the three crude oil tanks had not been cleaned of their contents. Crude oil and head space gases remained within each crude oil tank. The pipes were unable to be moved. Dominguez Welding LLC did not ensure that the sections of oil fill pipe, backpressure pipe, and bypass pipe were disconnected from each pipe's corresponding riser prior to using an oxyacetylene torch to cut steel pipe or using an arc welder to weld steel pipe. Dominguez Welding LLC also did not ensure that the backpressure pipe was blocked or dead-ended to prevent headspace gases from passing through the non-closeable check valve and down the length of backpressure pipe into the excavation prior to using an oxyacetylene torch to cut steel pipe or arc welder to weld steel pipe. Dominguez Welding LLC therefore did not ensure that the flammable headspace gases or vapors were protected from potential oxyacetylene torch and arc welding ignition sources. This condition exposed a welder's assistant and employees of Energes Services LLC to fire and explosion hazards. or in the alternative: 29 CFR 1926.352(i): Drums, containers, or hollow structures which have contained toxic or flammable substances were not, before welding, cutting, or heating was undertaken on them, either filled with water or thoroughly cleaned of such substances and ventilated and tested: (a) Dominguez Welding LLC, at Sekich tank battery, Weld County Road 13 and Weld County Road 32, Mead, CO: On 5/25/17, Dominguez Welding LLC did not ensure that drums, containers, or hollow structures which have contained toxic or flammable substances were, before welding, cutting, or heating was undertaken on them, either filled with water or thoroughly cleaned of such substances and ventilated and tested. Dominguez Welding LLC directed and controlled the work of two welder's assistants at a construction project at a crude oil tank battery. Work was performed in and adjacent to an excavation for the oil fill pipe, backpressure pipe, and bypass pipe from the separator to crude oil tank #1. The pipes from the excavation were connected to their corresponding vertical pipes (risers) which were connected to crude oil tank #1 near the top of the tank. Crude oil tank #1 was interconnected with both crude oil tank #2 and crude oil tank #3. Each of the three crude oil tanks had not been cleaned of their contents. Crude oil and head space gases remained within each crude oil tank. Dominguez Welding LLC did not ensure that the crude oil tanks were thoroughly cleaned, ventilated, and tested for the presence of flammable gases or vapors prior to using an oxyacetylene torch to cut steel pipe or using an arc welder to weld steel pipe, all connected to crude oil tank #1. Dominguez Welding LLC therefore did not ensure that the flammable headspace gases or vapors were protected from potential oxyacetylene torch and arc welding ignition sources. This condition exposed a welder's assistant and employees of Energes Services LLC to fire and explosion hazards.