OSHA Inspection: GULF TREATING, INC.

Issued

2004-07-28 00:00:00

Abate by

2004-08-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4900.00 · Current $4200.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

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 struck-by hazards.
a)On 1/29/04, employees were exposed to struck-by hazards while opening
the door on
Treating Cylinder Number 1 (the cylinder) at Gulf Treating, Inc.
Employees of Gulf
Lumber opened the door on the cylinder while the cylinder was still
pressurized.  The
cylinder was not equipped with a safety interlock device to prevent the
door from being
opened while the cylinder was pressurized.  The cylinder was also not
outfitted with a
pressure gauge visible from the area of operation.
Among others, one feasible and acceptable method to correct this hazard is
to comply
with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code, Boiler and
Pressure
Vessel Code, Section VIII, Pressure Vessels, Division 1, Other Types of
Closures, UG-
35 General, Section (b) and ensure that all pressure vessels are equipped
with a
mechanism, with redundant features, that will prevent opening of the door
while the
system is pressurized and also add a visible pressure gauge that can be
viewed from the
operational area.