OSHA Inspection: ENERPIPE CORPORATION

Issued

Feb 16, 1999

Abate by

Mar 12, 1999

Penalty

Initial $7,000

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:
A) For the time period up to September 2, 1998 employees engaged in laying
an 24inch GPM
fuel gas line were struck by the line when it unexpectedly moved while it
was being aligned.
Employees were exposed to the hazards associated with being struck by this
line, should it
unexpectedly move during the alignment procedure.
Possible acceptable abatement procedures are:
1) Remove employees from the danger zone during alignment;
2) Establish uniform communication procedures between the side boom
operators and the person
giving the directions;
3) Make joints as far as possible from bends;
4) Use a hydraulic controlled manipulator for alignment of the pipe;
5) Use of blocking means to prevent the pipes movement. The employer has
the
ultimate
responsibility to determine the best or most appropriate means to
eliminate the hazards.e