Violation Detail
Standard Cited: 5A0001 OSH Act General Duty Paragraph
Inspection Nr: 301494217
Citation: 01001
Citation Type: Serious
Abatement Date: 12/14/1997 X
Initial Penalty: $2,500.00
Current Penalty: $2,500.00
Issuance Date: 12/01/1997
Nr Instances: 1
Nr Exposed: 5
Related Event Code (REC): A
Gravity: 10
Report ID: 1032100
Contest Date:
Final Order:
Emphasis:
Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: CUTS
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 the hazard of drowning as a result of the employer not developing and implementing a preventative, routine, and scheduled maintenance program for regulators used during SCUBA diving activities. The following observed conditions contributed to the severity of this hazard: (a)Waters off Trident Seafood, Akutan, Alaska: Where a diver's primary second stage regulator, a US Divers Aqualung Arctic, had a cut in the rubber mouthpiece that could have allowed water to enter the breathing air supplied to the diver, and where this same diver's alternate second stage regulator, a US Divers Micra, had a small cut in the rubber mouthpiece and one of the two exhaust valves was not seated properly which would have allowed water to enter the regulator and be inhaled with the breathing air, the employer did not develop a maintenance program specified by the manufacturer of this equipment. This program called for preventative and routine maintenance to be performed after each day's diving and scheduled maintenance to be performed annually and include inspection, overhaul, and scheduled parts replacement. During a dive using this equipment, the diver experienced problems of unknown origin and drowned in approximately 120 feet of water. NOTE: One acceptable means of abatement, among others, would be to develop a maintenance program that involves cleaning, inspection, and proper storage of each regulator following each day's diving. In addition, on an annual basis (or more frequently if equipment use dictates), regulators must be cleaned and adjusted by qualified personnel; this annual maintenance includes inspection, overhaul,and scheduled parts replacement.
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