OSHA Inspection: RELIANT PROCESSING GROUP, LLC

Issued

Mar 18, 2003

Abate by

Mar 28, 2003

Penalty

Initial $70,000 · Current $35,000 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 condition(s) listed below:
On or about September 19, 2002, at the carbon dioxide processing plant,
located on FM Road
1760, seven miles west of Muleshoe,Texas, employees were exposed to a
struck-by hazard
associated with the sudden and catastrophic failure of two carbon dioxide
storage tanks and the
launching of a third tank into a distant location.  Subsequent analysis
showed the explosion was
related to a build-up of excessive pressure and brittle fracturing of the
two tanks due to the
extremely low temperatures to which the welded steel plates of the tanks
were being exposed.
The employer could have avoided the explosion hazard by adhering to
recognized and generally
accepted good engineering control practices, such as the ASME Pressure
Vessel
Code, Section
VIII and the Compressed Gas Association Standards related to carbon
dioxide systems and
pressure relief.
Among others methods, one reasonable means of abatement would be to
evaluate materials prior
to placing them into service, conduct visual surveys and inspections,
provide operating
procedures outlining safe operating limits, establish an effective
management communication
system for shift orders, conduct a process hazard analysis and implement
the recommendations.