OSHA Inspection: VETERANS ADMINISTRATION MEDICAL CENTER OF MARION

Issued

Sep 29, 1988

Abate by

Dec 31, 1988

General-duty citation text

Section 1-201(a) of Executive Order 12196 of February 26, 1980: The head
of the agency did not furnish to employees places and conditions of
employment that were free from recognized hazards that were causing or
likely to cause death or serious physical harm in that:
Inadequate preventive maintenance and repair practices, procedures and/
or conditions increased the likelihood of fires and/or explosions in
in combination natural gas/fuel oil, dry back, fire-tube boilers.
The established preventive maintenance and repair procedures at the
Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) located in Marion, IL
were not properly implemented, communicated or enforced.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to abate this
hazard is to establish a formalized preventive maintenance and repair
program specific to the types of boilers operated at the Marion, IL
facility. This procedure shall be based on recommendations contained
in VA manual CP-34, Part 1, DM&S Supplement, MP-3. Essential elements
of this program shall include, but not necessarily limited to the
following:
1) Modify the boiler operators's "Standard Operating Procedures" to
incorporate preventive maintenance procedures specific to the
boilers operated at the Marion, IL facility. These procedures shall
describe the type and frequency of preventive maintenance to be
performed plus the proper methods by which it is to be done. Specific
instructions for employee safety while performing this work shall
also be incorporated when appropriate.
2) Establish a means of logging boiler repair work to supplement
established facility work order procedures so that the progress of
this repair work which may extend over a period of time, can easily
be monitored by the boiler supervisor and his superiors.
The logging method shall provide a comprehensive record of the entire
repair operation from the point at which need for repair was
discovered until it is completed, including notations explaining
significant delays; reasons for not performing the recommended repair
and additional safeguards that will be taken to assure the boilers
are operated in a safe manner if a decision is made to run them with
broken defective or substandard equipment.
3) Provide training to the boiler operators and the supervisor in the
requirements of the preventive maintenance and repair program
outlined above along with specific procedures for performing the
required preventive maintenance. In addition, the hazards associated
with failure to perform these functions and performing them
improperly shall be discussed.
4) Monitor the preventive maintenance and repair program at both the
employee and supervisory level to ensure that the required preventive
maintenance is being performed and that defective equipment
discovered either during inspection or operation of the boilers is
promptly repaired. Consideration shall be given to the use of logs or
checklists to be completed by the operators and reviewed, at
designated intervals, by the boiler supervisor and his superiors to
assure the above functions are actually being carried out.
5) Administer appropriate disciplinary measures, consistent with other
VA policies on this subject, for any employee who fails to follow
the requirements set forth in the preventive maintenance and repair
program.
6) Review and evaluate standard operating procedures, logs, checklists,
training and enforcement measures on a periodic basis to ensure their
continued adequacy and effectiveness. Any changes made to the above
shall be thoroughly discussed with the supervisor and boiler
operators, allowing opportunity for their input, prior to
implementing them. The rationale behind why needed changes are being
made shall also be discussed.