This incident involved issues with LOTO and PPE with the line break/process opening. OSHA issued citations against 1910.111, .147, .134, and .1200.
At 4:00 p.m. on March 13, 2017, in preparation of a new pump arriving, a worker started draining lines leading to a 30,000-gallon liquid anhydrous ammonia tank. After the tank had been drained, the worker started loosening the bolts that held the pump down; however, he heard gas escaping and immediately stopped the work. He left the area, as well as the bolts in a loosened state. Later, he was assigned to get a truck while they waited for the tank to finish draining. Unaware of the potential gas leak, another employee returned from lunch and noticed the loosened bolts. So, this employee continued where the coworker had left off in removing the pump. As the employee used an impact wrench to finish removing the bolts, the pump came loose and released anhydrous ammonia. The caustic liquid contacted the employee’s hands, arms, and chin, where he sustained chemical burns.