Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 024 Hazard: STRUCK BY

North Carolina General Statute 95-129(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of North Carolina: The employer did not furnish each of his employees conditions of employment and a place of employment free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to: Struck By/Thermal Burns from an explosion due to failure to correctly purge air from a natural gas pipe prior to putting it into service. a)Roof of structure and Pump room #2 at ConAgra plant in Garner, NC- on or about 6/9/09, the employer placed the new 170 foot, 3 inch gas line used to supply gas to the pump room and into operation did not purge the pipe with an inert gas prior to attempting to starting of the Maxi-Miser water heater. Reference: [ NFPA 54 Chapter 7.3.2 (2002 version) Placing in operation. When piping full of air is placed in operation the line shall be first displaced with an inert gas and then displaced with fuel gas as required by table.{ Such as more than 10 feet of 6inch pipe and more than 30feet of 3 inch pipe.} ] Abatement Note: One means of abatement would be to add an inert gas to prevent the mixing of airand gas when the gas was reintroduced into the line and to have purged the inert gas to ensure a pure content of gas ready to safely serve the burner equipment. This could have been accomplished by using nitrogen and testing equipment toensure that the introduction and removal of the pipe contents was complete between each step.