Line Break (inside PRCS) Gone Bad (Cl2 + Facial Hair w/ SCBA)

By /

At 10 p.m. on 3/19/18, an employee, 34, and coworker were performing preventative maintenance on a chlorine gas system used in a water filtration process. The employee and coworker were removing, and reinstalling, a flange with a black Teflon rubber gasket. They were working in a 48-foot long, 24-foot wide, and 6-foot tall crawl space under a chlorine cylinder storage building.

The schedule 80 polyvinyl chloride (PVC) chlorine pipes that were connected to the flange were under vacuum and purged before the work began in an attempt to remove residual chlorine gas.

The employees were required to wear a Scott Industrial Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), 4,500 PSI, with a Scott Full Face piece as protection against any residual chlorine gas. Near the end of the work, the employee adjusted their tight-fitting, elastomeric facepiece and inhaled residual chlorine gas. The employee became agitated and while attempting to exit the crawl space further dislodged the tight-fitting elastomeric facepiece. The employee was hospitalized. The employee was reported to have a beard.

Violations/PenaltiesSeriousWillfulRepeatOtherUnclassTotal
Initial Violations2222
Current Violations2222
Initial Penalty$0$0$0$0$0$0
Current Penalty$0$0$0$0$0$0
FTA Penalty$0$0$0$0$0$0
#Citation IDCitaton TypeStandard CitedIssuance DateAbatement Due DateCurrent PenaltyInitial PenaltyFTA PenaltyContestLatest EventNote
1.01001Serious19100119 C0106/19/201807/23/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
2.01002Serious19100119 D0106/19/201807/23/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
3.01003Serious19100119 E0106/19/201807/23/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
4.01004Serious19100119 F0106/19/201807/23/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
5.01005Serious19100119 G0306/19/201807/23/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
6.01006Serious19100119 J0206/19/201807/23/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
7.01007Serious19100119 L0106/19/201807/23/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
8.01008Serious19100134 C01 I06/19/201807/23/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
9.01009Serious19100134 C01 II06/19/201807/23/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
10.01010Serious19100134 C01 III06/19/201807/23/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
11.01011Serious19100134 C01 VI06/19/201807/23/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
12.01012Serious19100134 C0306/19/201806/27/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
13.01013Serious19100134 E0106/19/201806/27/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
14.01014Serious19100134 F0106/19/201806/27/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
15.01015Serious19100134 G01 I A06/19/201806/27/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
16.01016Serious19100134 L0106/19/201806/27/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
17.01017Serious19100146 C0106/19/201807/23/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
18.01018Serious19100146 C0406/19/201807/23/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
19.01019Serious19100146 E0106/19/201807/23/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
20.01020Serious19100146 G0106/19/201807/23/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
21.01021Serious19100146 K0106/19/201807/23/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 
22.01022Serious19100146 L0106/19/201807/23/2018$0$0$007/03/2018C – Contested 

Related Posts

Controlling Static by managing flow rates

Managing static electricity during the transfer of flammable liquids is based on the fluid’s conductivity, measured in picosiemens per meter (pS/m). High-conductivity liquids dissipate charge…

Scroll to Top