OSHA Inspection: SOUTH SHORE PIPELINE SERVICES, INCORPORATED

Issued

1998-07-10 00:00:00

Abate by

1998-09-14 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1500.00 · Current $825.00 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 likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that employees
were exposed to the hazards associated with being overcome by toxic gases
or oxygen deficient
atmospheres in confined spaces.
Intersection of Parker Street & Everett Street, North Attleboro:
On or about April 2 & 6, 1998, South Shore Pipeline Services, Incorporated
failed to
develop and implement written confined space entry procedures for
employees who
replaced a water meter in a confined space consisting of an underground
vault 68 inches
wide, 130 inches long, and 88 inches deep with an access opening of 20
inches by 22
inches.  An employee was overcome by carbon monoxide while operating a
gasoline-
powered saw within the vault.  Exposure levels exceeded 233 parts per
million
(ppm)
averaged over an eight hour time period exceeding 50 ppm, the threshold
limit value
(TLV) referenced in 29 CFR 1926.55(a).  Four days later, the employer
returned to this
site to complete the job and sent another employee into this space without
developing and
implementing confined space procedures.
The company also failed to develop and implement safe procedures for entry
in a
confined area, an underground vault, to replace a water meter.
Deficiencies included,
but were not limited to:
a) Specifying acceptable entry conditions.
b) Adequately ventilating the space as necessary to eliminate or control
atmospheric hazards, for example, carbon monoxide.
c) Verifying the conditions in the confined area was acceptable for entry
throughout the duration of an authorized entry.
d) Setting up pedestrian barriers to protect entrants from external
hazards.
The company failed to develop and implement proper standby procedures as
noted
in the
incident April 2, 1998, where a standby personnel entered the confined
space before
being relieved by another attendant to perform a rescue, did not
adequately monitor the
confined space for hazards such as elevated levels of carbon monoxide, and
did not use
available rescue equipment to perform a non-entry rescue safely.
The company also failed to develop and implement procedures for summoning
emergency
services and rescuing entrants from confined spaces as noted in the
incident on April 2,
1998, where an employee entered the underground vault to rescue another
employee who
collapsed from overexposure to carbon monoxide.  The entrant was not
attached to, but
unused, rescue equipment located on the jobsite.
Among methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct
this hazard is
to establish and enforce an adequate confined space entry program such as
that stipulated
in 29 CFR 1910.146 including, but not limited to, the following elements:
1) Confined space program as described in 1910.146(d),
2) Rescue procedures as described in 1910.146(d)(9), and3) Standby
personnel procedures as described in 1910.146(i).
"ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION IS REQUIRED FOR THIS ITEM".

Issued

1998-07-10 00:00:00

Abate by

1998-09-14 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1500.00 · Current $825.00 Reduced

Issued

1998-07-10 00:00:00

Abate by

1998-09-14 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1500.00 · Current $825.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0560

Issued

1998-07-10 00:00:00

Abate by

1998-09-14 00:00:00

Hazardous substances 0560

Issued

1998-07-10 00:00:00

Abate by

1998-09-14 00:00:00

Hazardous substances 0560

Issued

1998-07-10 00:00:00

Abate by

1998-09-14 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1500.00 · Current $825.00 Reduced