Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 008A 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: 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: API - 570 - NOV 2009 is a recognized Industry standard of recommended practices that Covers inspection, rating, repair, and alteration procedures for metallic and fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) piping systems and their associated pressure relieving devices that have been placed in-service. a)At Caribbean Petroleum Refining in Bayamon employees that worked performing routine tasks such as tank operator, waste treatment operator, loading rack operator, among others were exposed or could be exposed to flammable and combustible spills or release, fire and or explosion during the performance of there duties. In the Tank Farm Area there was approximately 45 above ground steel tanks ranging in capacity from 500 to 500,000 barrels which were used for the storage and distribution of gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, and jet fuel. Products were transfered to and from the tanks via above and under ground pipelines. The employer did not have an inspection system for the entire system of pipes in service, to determine the integrity of product transfer piping at the facility. The employer provided some documentation of daily and monthly inspection for visible leak to the Pipes racks. This inspection was to comply with SPCC but did not comply with the API 570 - 5.5.4 External Visual Inspection. In 2007, the employer inspected aboveground pipeline from dock to plant but did not inspected the entire pipeline system inside the facility. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is: 1.Follow API 570 - 5.5.4 External Visual Inspection. An external visual inspection is performed to determine the condition of the outside of the piping, insulation system, painting, and coating systems, and associated hardware; and to check for signs of misalignment, vibration, and leakage. External inspections shall include surveys for the condition of piping hangers and supports. Instances of cracked or broken hangers, "bottoming out" of spring supports, support shoes displaced from support members, or other improper restraint conditions shall be reported and corrected. Bellows expansion joints should be inspected visually for unusual deformations, misalignment, or displacements thatmay exceed design. Non standard piping components (e.g flex hoses) may have different degradation mechanisms. Specialist engineers or manufacture data sources may need to be consulted in developing valid inspection plans for these components. The inspector should examine the piping system for the presence of any field modifications or temporary repairs not previously recorded on the piping drawings and/or records. The inspector also should be alert to the presence of any components that may be unsuitable for long-term operation. API - 570 - NOV 2009 es un reglamento de practicas reconocidas por la industria, que abarca procedimientos de inspeccion, clasificacion, reparacion y alteracion para sistemas de tuberias metalicas y de plastico reforzado con fibra de vidrio y sus dispositivos de liberacion de presion conectados que hayan sido puesto en servicio. a)En Caribbean Petroleum Refining en Bayamon empleados que trabajaban realizando tareas tales como operador de tanque operador de tratamiento de aguas, operador de carga entre otras fueron expuestos o podrian haber estado