Text For Citation: 02 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: EXPLOSION

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: 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 serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to a) The hazards of the fire and/or explosion in Building #4 on the third floor, on or about July 3, 1989, due to the mixing of chlorotrifluoroethylene and 1.1 difluoroethylene with oxygen which created an uncontrolled polymerization reaction when the circulating line on vessel 403-A23 was being returned to service after repair and the lines were purged of air using a mixture of chlorotrifluoroethylene and 1.1-difluoroethylens. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard would be to inert all lines prior to breaking them open to the atmosphere or prior to putting them back into service.