OSHA Inspection: TRI-STATE OIL FIELD SERVICES, INC.

Issued

Nov 21, 1990

Abate by

Nov 27, 1990

Penalty

Initial $8,000 · Current $8,000

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were
free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death
or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to:
a) The hazard of an inability of employees of Tri-State Oil Field
Services, Inc. to escape the R. & H. - Travis #3 Oil/Gas Well
location in the event of intermittent or uncontrolled eruptions of
hydrogen sulfide and/or flammable/uncontrolled eruptions of hydrogen
sulfide and/or hydrocarbon gases, due to there being no system
present to warn employees of toxic or explosive levels of such
gases. This occurred thoughout the period between 4/24/90 to 5/29/90
at the well which is located in Section 6, Tion, R9W, JasperCounty,
Mississippi.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to correct this
hazard would be the installation of a continuous environmental
monitoring system which would have sensors to detect the presence of
hydrogen sulfide, methane, and other hydrocarbon gases, and which would
automatically acivate alarms, which would alert employees to the danger.
This warning would allow only personnel essential to well control
operations to remain on location to initiate the emergency action plan,
as specified in Section 3.2 through 3.4 of A.P.I. RP-49:  Recommended
Practices for Safe Drilling of Wells Containing Hydrogen Sulfide,
Section Edition, 5/15/87, and Rule #66, Section 5, Paragraph (b)(1) -
(b)(11)(i) of the State Oil and Gas Board State of Mississippi, revised
7/1/86.

Issued

Nov 21, 1990

Abate by

Nov 27, 1990

Issued

Nov 21, 1990

Abate by

Dec 31, 1990