NOTE: this occurred in 2007 – I just missed it in my research and just now posting it.
At a meat product processing plant Employee #1 and Employee #2 were working on the production floor near a section of piping that had been removed the prior day during the rerouting of an ammonia refrigerant line.
The accident happened when the plant coordinator and two maintenance supervisors tried to move ammonia from a high-pressure receiver into an intercooler through a, pump line but a section of piping from the pump line – which was hooked to a meat mixer – was under construction and had been removed. Due to communication failures about the line rerouting, the plant refrigeration coordinator was unaware of the “changes” to the piping. When the refrigerant line stop-valve was opened for the transfer, ammonia was released inside the production area.
Initial Penalty = $1,102,500
Current Penalty = $648,000
Willful = 11
Serious = 15
Employee #1 and Employee #2 were overcome by ammonia vapors and were hospitalized. Employees #3, #4, #5, and #6 were also exposed to unknown levels of ammonia during the release and were treated at a local hospital.
Employee #1 died of injuries sustained in the ammonia release.
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Violation Summary
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Total | |
| Initial Violations | 7 | 17 | 24 | ||
| Current Violations | 12 | 9 | 21 | ||
| Initial Penalty | $31,500 | $1,071,000 | $0 | $0 | $1,102,500 |
| Current Penalty | $198,000 | $450,000 | $0 | $0 | $648,000 |
| Violation Items | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | ID | Type | Standard | Issuance | Abate | Curr$ | Init$ | Fta$ | Contest | LastEvent | |
| 1. | 01001 | Serious | 880004 | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $8,000 | $4,500 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| 2. | 01002A | Serious | 19100036 B01 | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $8,000 | $4,500 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| Deleted | 3. | 01002B | Serious | 19100037 A02 | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement |
| 4. | 01003A | Serious | 19100038 C02 | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $8,000 | $4,500 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| Deleted | 5. | 01003B | Serious | 19100119 N | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement |
| 6. | 01004 | Serious | 19100119 E03 II | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $8,000 | $4,500 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| Deleted | 7. | 01005 | Serious | 19100119 H02 VI | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $0 | $4,500 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement |
| 8. | 01006 | Serious | 19100119 M03 | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $8,000 | $4,500 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| 9. | 01007 | Serious | 19100134 F01 | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $8,000 | $4,500 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| 10. | 02001 | Serious | 19100119 F01 I | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $25,000 | $63,000 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| 11. | 02002 | Serious | 19100119 F03 | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $25,000 | $63,000 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| 12. | 02003 | Serious | 19100119 F04 | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $25,000 | $63,000 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| 13. | 02004 | Serious | 19100119 G01 I | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $25,000 | $63,000 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| 14. | 02005 | Serious | 19100119 H02 IV | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $25,000 | $63,000 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| Deleted | 15. | 02006 | Willful | 19100119 I01 | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $0 | $63,000 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement |
| Deleted | 16. | 02007 | Willful | 19100119 J06 II | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $0 | $63,000 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement |
| 17. | 02008 | Serious | 19100119 L01 | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $25,000 | $63,000 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| 18. | 02009 | Willful | 19100120 Q01 | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $50,000 | $63,000 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| 19. | 02010 | Willful | 19100120 Q03 III | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $50,000 | $63,000 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| 20. | 02011 | Willful | 19100120 Q03 IV | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $50,000 | $63,000 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| 21. | 02012 | Willful | 19100120 Q06 | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $50,000 | $63,000 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| 22. | 02013 | Willful | 19100134 C01 IV | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $50,000 | $63,000 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| 23. | 02014 | Willful | 19100147 C04 II | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $50,000 | $63,000 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| 24. | 02015 | Willful | 19100147 C07 I | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $50,000 | $63,000 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| 25. | 02016 | Willful | 19100147 D04 I | 12/20/2007 | 01/09/2009 | $50,000 | $63,000 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |
| 26. | 02017 | Willful | 19100165 B01 | 12/20/2007 | 03/15/2009 | $50,000 | $63,000 | $0 | 01/14/2008 | F – Formal Settlement | |