Violation Detail
Standard Cited: 5A0001 OSH Act General Duty Paragraph
Inspection Nr: 102355203
Citation: 01001
Citation Type: Serious
Abatement Date: 05/15/1990 X
Initial Penalty: $640.00
Current Penalty: $640.00
Issuance Date: 04/13/1990
Nr Instances: 1
Nr Exposed: 2
Related Event Code (REC):
Gravity: 08
Report ID: 0523400
Contest Date:
Final Order:
Emphasis:
Text For Citation: 01 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) Employee was performing a pneumatic leak test on a vaccum condenser vessel which explosed resulting in serious injuries on March 5, 1990. The contributing factors were evidenced by the following findings: 1) Applied pneumatic stresses on said vessel exceeded it design criteria 2) Precautions alluded to in the American Society of Mechianical Engineers Pressure Vessel Code Section viii, Division 1 and 2 were not followed as no safety relief devices and guages were used. 3) No specific procedures or methodology was developed with regard to tightening bolts, test pressures, use of safety relief devices and tank guages. 4) Grade five (5) bolts were not tightened with a torque wrench to prevent over stressing. 5) Compressed air regulator was relied uponinstead of a safety relief device. A feasible acceptable abatement method would be to develop safe work procedures with regard to the pneumatic leak testing of tanks along with mandatory enforced usage of safety relief devices, tank pressure and the proper torsioning of assembly bolts.
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