OSHA Inspection: FERGUSON CONSTRUCTION CO., INC.

Issued

Mar 31, 1997

Abate by

Apr 24, 1997

Penalty

Initial $5,000 · Current $5,000

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 the condition(s) listed below:
Mid American Pipeline Construction site, west of FM 866 on the south side
of TX 302,
approximately 10 miles west of Odessa. On or about 2 October, 1996, the
employer did not
assure that employees and contractors were informed as to the location of
all lockout devices in-
use, and that a lockout device, used on the "firegate" valve, located
approximately 1100 feet
south of the TXL station, was removed and the valve opened to release line
pressure prior to
the line being cut. This exposed employees to the hazards and injuries
related to sudden and
violent release of pressure.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct
the hazard is
to develop a plan that would assure that lock-out devices are removed by
employees who are
leaving the area and a procedure that would verify that all lockout
devices are removed and lines
depressurized prior to the commencement of cutting operations. Also,
re-train employees on the
importance of proper implementation of lockout/tagout devices and
procedures.out

Issued

Mar 31, 1997

Abate by

Apr 24, 1997

Penalty

Initial $5,000 · Current $5,000

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 the condition(s) listed below:
Mid America Pipeline Construction site, west of FM 866 on the south side
of TX 302,
approximately 10 miles west of Odessa. The employer's representative on
site instructed
employees to return to work in a ditch where a pressure release was
occurring from a pipeline,
and to place the new valve setting, without verifying that the line was
totally
depressurized. This
exposed the employees to the hazards and injuries related to the sudden
and violent release of
pressure.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to correct the
hazard is to develop
procedures that when a pressure release occurs, employees are not allowed
to return to the area
of the release until it has been verified that all pressure has been
evacuated from the pipeline.

Issued

Mar 31, 1997

Abate by

Apr 24, 1997

Penalty

Initial $1,750

Issued

Mar 31, 1997

Abate by

Apr 24, 1997

Penalty

Initial $1,750