Inspection Detail
Inspection: 300759289 - Equilon Enterprises Llc
Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office
Site Address:
Equilon Enterprises Llc
23208 S Alameda
Wilmington, CA 90744
Mailing Address:
2101 E Pacific Coast Hwy, Wilmington, CA 90744
Union Status: NonUnion
SIC:2911
NAICS: 0
Inspection Type: Accident
Scope: Partial
Advanced Notice: N
Ownership: Private
Safety/Health: Safety
Close Conference: 08/07/2000
Emphasis: S:Process Safety Management
Case Closed: 06/12/2001
Type | Activity Nr | Safety | Health |
---|---|---|---|
Accident | 362404287 |
Violations/Penalties | Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Unclass | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Initial Violations | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
Current Violations | 1 | 1 | ||||
Initial Penalty | $22,500 | $0 | $0 | $342 | $0 | $22,842 |
Current Penalty | $5,060 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $5,060 |
FTA Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
# | Citation ID | Citaton Type | Standard Cited | Issuance Date | Abatement Due Date | Current Penalty | Initial Penalty | FTA Penalty | Contest | Latest Event | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 01001 | Other | 342 A | 11/03/2000 | 11/08/2000 | $0 | $342 | $0 | 12/19/2000 | J - ALJ Decision | Citation has been deleted. |
2. | 02001 | Serious | 6828 A | 11/03/2000 | 11/16/2000 | $5,060 | $22,500 | $0 | 12/19/2000 | J - ALJ Decision |
Investigation Summary
At approximately 10 p.m. on July 31, 2000, Employee #1, the night supervisor, was observing the progress of a steam cleaning operation involving the out-of-service vapor recovery line to tank #1025. He was investigating the area around the 10 in. blind flange and the spreader bars, which was reportedly plugged, when a stream of water began to flow from the top of the flange. Employee #1 began to smell hydrogen sulfide gas and saw a stream of water and light hydrocarbons start to gush out of the area around the spreader bars and cover the 6 ft square scaffold platform. He later stated that he held his breath, climbed over the railing and began to descend the 21 ft scaffold ladder. Shortly thereafter, his hands and feet slipped from the rungs and he fell to the asphalt floor. Employee #1 suffered a fractured right femur, right knee, and left shoulder, and was hospitalized for 10 days at Long Beach Memorial Hospitalized. Among the causal factors that led to the accident were the lack of controls to safely dispose of the oil-water mixtures and the foreseeable toxic effects of hydrogen sulfide during maintenance activities. There were no bleed valves on the system to relieve pressure in the piping and no covers/diverters over the flanges to direct oily-water down instead of onto the ladder rungs.
Keywords: FRACTURE, HYDROGEN SULFIDE, WORK RULES, SLIP, INHALATION, DESCENDING, FALL, SLIPPERY SURFACE, HOUSEKEEPING, CHEMICAL
# | Inspection | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 300759289 | Hospitalized injury | Fracture | Miscellaneous plant and system operators |