NOTE: this was NOT a PSM covered process.
OSHA determined the employee — on the job just two months — opened an air intake valve to inspect a noise coming from a barium sulfide wash cone with a steam line that was left open the day before. A rush of cold air in the steam line created a bubble that pushed up heated sludge onto the worker, causing fatal burns. A second worker suffered second-degree burns across their upper body.
Before OSHA concluded the investigation, the agency learned that 25 days after the fatal incident, another employee inspecting a leaking gasket under a tank full of sodium hydroxide solution suffered chemical burns when the tank overflowed. The second incident remains under investigation.
OSHA found the company:
- Failed to establish energy control procedures, creating thermal and chemical hazards.
- Failed to periodically inspect the energy control procedures, at least annually, while employees were tasked with applying lockout/tagout devices.
- Allowed slip and trip hazards to exist by failing to keep mid-tier catwalks free of corrosion.
- Exposed employees to entrapment hazards by not clearly marking the routes to emergency exits.
- Failed to provide readily accessible safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals in the facility.
Citation 1 Item 1
Type of Violation: Serious; $7,232
29 CFR 1910.22(a)(3):(3) Walking-working surfaces are maintained free of hazards such as sharp or protruding objects, loose boards, corrosion, leaks, spills, snow, and ice.
a) South Barium Leaching: On or about May 30, 2023, and at times prior, the employer exposed employees to slip and trip hazards, in that the walking-working surface of the mid-tier catwalks was not maintained clean and free of corrosion while employees were tasked with operating the wash cone valves to receive sludge from the leach tanks.
Citation 1 Item 2
Type of Violation: Serious;$9,041
29 CFR 1910.37(b)(4): If the direction of travel to the exit or exit discharge is not immediately apparent, signs must be posted along the exit access indicating the direction of travel to the nearest exit and exit discharge. Additionally, the line-of-sight to an exit sign must clearly be visible at all times.
a) South Barium Leaching: On or about June 2, 2023, and at times prior, the employer exposed employees to entrapment hazards, in that the emergency exit access to the south of the plant, indicating the direction of travel, was not clearly marked while employees were performing their assigned duties.
Citation 1 Item 3
Type of Violation: Serious; $15,625
29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii): Procedures did not clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, and techniques to be utilized for the control of hazardous energy, and the means to enforce compliance including, but not limited to, 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(A), (c)(4)(ii)(B), (c)(4)(ii)(C) and (c)(4)(ii)(D):
a) South Barium Leaching: On or about June 1, 2023, and at times prior, the employer exposed employees to the release of uncontrolled thermal and chemical hazards in that the hazardous energy control procedures did not specifically outline the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, techniques and the means to enforce compliance, to be utilized for the control of hazardous energy while authorized operators were tasked with inspecting and troubleshooting the equipment.
Citation 1 Item 4
Type of Violation: Serious
29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6)(i): The employer shall conduct a periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually to ensure that the procedure and the requirements of this standard are being followed.
a) South Barium Leaching: On or about June 1, 2023, and at times prior, the employer exposed employees to the release of uncontrolled thermal and chemical energy hazards, in that the employer did not inspect the energy control procedures at least annually while employees were tasked with applying lock out/ tag out devices, blanking, blinding or double block and bleeding.
Citation 1 Item 5
Type of Violation: Serious
29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(8): The employer shall maintain in the workplace copies of the required safety data sheets for each hazardous chemical, and shall ensure that they are readily accessible during each work shift to employees when they are in their work area(s). (Electronic access and other alternatives to maintaining paper copies of the safety data sheets are permitted as long as no barriers to immediate employee access in each workplace are created by such options.)
a) South Barium Leaching: On or about June 1, 2023, and at times prior, the employer exposed employees to chemical hazards, in that copies of the safety data sheets for each hazardous chemical in the workplace were not readily accessible to operators while performing their assigned duties in their work area.
CLICK HERE for the Citations