On October 4, 2005, Employee #1 was working as a refrigeration mechanic. An ammonia system valve in freezer Number 7 was being turned, when the bonnet came loose with the wheel, releasing approximately 100 to 200 lbs of ammonia. Employee #1 was 35 feet up without fall protection, and he had to slide down racking to escape. He gave notification to shut the system down and summoned the city’s hazard materials team. The plant and the surrounding businesses were evacuated without incident. Employee #1 sustained first and second-degree chemical burns on his left hand. He was not hospitalized. This was not the first time that the bonnet of that Hansen 1.25 in. shut off valve had come off when the valve was turned. This type of valve is now made with a bolt to prevent the bonnet from turning.
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Violation Summary
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Total | |
| Initial Violations | 8 | 1 | 9 | ||
| Current Violations | 3 | 4 | 7 | ||
| Initial Penalty | $13,750 | $0 | $0 | $600 | $14,350 |
| Current Penalty | $5,500 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $5,500 |
| Violation Items | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | ID | Type | Standard | Issuance | Abate | Curr$ | Init$ | LastEvent | |
| 1. | 01001A | Serious | 19100023 C01 | 01/09/2006 | 01/20/2006 | $2,500 | $2,500 |
I – Informal Settlement |
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| 2. | 01001B | Serious | 19100067 C02 V | 01/09/2006 | 01/20/2006 | $0 | $0 |
I – Informal Settlement |
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| 3. | 01002 | Serious |
19100119 J02 – Written procedures. The employer shall establish and implement written procedures to maintain the on-going integrity of process equipment. |
01/09/2006 | 07/01/2006 | $1,250 | $1,250 |
I – Informal Settlement |
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| Deleted | 4. | 01003 | Serious |
19100119 J06 II – Appropriate checks and inspections shall be performed to assure that equipment is installed properly and consistent with design specifications and the manufacturer’s instructions. |
01/09/2006 | 02/11/2006 | $0 | $1,250 |
I – Informal Settlement |
| Deleted | 5. | 01004 | Serious |
19100132 D01 – The employer shall assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). If such hazards are present, or likely to be present, the employer shall: |
01/09/2006 | 01/20/2006 | $0 | $2,500 |
I – Informal Settlement |
| 6. | 01005 | Serious |
19100132 F01 – The employer shall provide training to each employee who is required by this section to use PPE. Each such employee shall be trained to know at least the following: |
01/09/2006 | 01/20/2006 | $1,750 | $2,500 |
I – Informal Settlement |
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| 7. | 01006 | Other |
19100134 E01 – General. The employer shall provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee’s ability to use a respirator, before the employee is fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace. The employer may discontinue an employee’s medical evaluations when the employee is no longer required to use a respirator. |
01/09/2006 | 01/27/2006 | $0 | $1,250 |
I – Informal Settlement |
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| 8. | 01007 | Other |
19100134 F01 – The employer shall ensure that employees using a tight-fitting facepiece respirator pass an appropriate qualitative fit test (QLFT) or quantitative fit test (QNFT) as stated in this paragraph. |
01/09/2006 | 02/11/2006 | $0 | $1,250 |
I – Informal Settlement |
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| 9. | 01008 | Other |
19100134 K01 – The employer shall ensure that each employee can demonstrate knowledge of at least the following: |
01/09/2006 | 01/27/2006 | $0 | $1,250 |
I – Informal Settlement |
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| 10. | 02001 | Other | 19030019 D01 | 03/08/2006 | 03/27/2006 | $0 | $600 |
I – Informal Settlement |
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