OSHA Inspection: CARUS CHEMICAL COMPANY

Issued

Jun 8, 1994

Abate by

Jul 11, 1994

Penalty

Initial $1,800 · Current $900 Reduced

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 were likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees, in that
employees in the Cairox Department were exposed to being splashed with
hot corrosive
potassium hydroxide solution resulting from burst piping and/or flange
connections due to failure
of pipe supports and over stressing of piping system along Recovery tank
line to the Reactor line
due to sudden change in fluid momentum, thermal contraction and/or
expansion of the piping
system:
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method of correct this
hazard is to
establish a safety program that prescribes the minimum requirements for
the design,
materials, fabrication, erection, test and inspection of the KOH lines
(from Recovery
tanks to Reactor tanks) as stipulated in Section 119, 120 121 & 136 of
the
ANSI
B31.11977,
American National Standard for Power Piping and in the Chemical
Manufacturers
Association Process Safety Code on Management Practices under Facilities.
The program shall include:
1. The analysis of the KOH lines to determine the flexibility
requirements of the piping
system making sure the system meets the following:
a. computed stress range at any point shall not exceed the allowable
stress of the
system.
b. system analyzed shall be designed to have sufficient flexibility to
prevent pipe
movements from over stress of the pipe material or anchors, leakage at
joints, or
detrimental distortion of connected equipment resulting from excessive
thrust and
moments.
c. movement caused by thermal expansion and loading shall be determined
for the
design of pipe supports.
2. Assurance that the design of pipe supports:
a. are capable of carrying the sum of all concurrently acting loads.
b. provide the support that allows the pipe line movement with thermal
changes
without causing over stress.
c. are fabricated and assembled so that the support will not be
disengaged from
the support piping.
3. Periodic inspection of the KOH lines to check the condition of the
lines, connections
and flange guarding and to prescribe maintenance, if it is

Issued

Jun 8, 1994

Abate by

Jul 11, 1994

Penalty

Initial $1,800 · Current $900 Reduced

Issued

Jun 8, 1994

Abate by

Jun 27, 1994

Issued

Jun 8, 1994

Abate by

Jun 13, 1994

Penalty

Initial $2,250 · Current $800 Reduced

Issued

Jun 8, 1994

Abate by

Jun 16, 1994

Penalty

Initial $750 · Current $375 Reduced

Issued

Jun 8, 1994

Abate by

Jun 16, 1994

Issued

Jun 8, 1994

Abate by

Jul 11, 1994