OSHA Inspection: CHANCE TOOL CO., INC.

Issued

Jun 25, 2001

Abate by

Jun 28, 2001

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $1,470 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:
(a)  On or about 06/15/01 at a McMullan ANF-1 #5 oil lease in Crockett
County Texas
a foam air unit operator was exposed to the following hazards of being
struck by pressurized
equipment and high pressure foam in that:
1.  Workers were standing near a discharge line under pressure that struck
and killed the
pumper and the high pressure foam struck and injured the tool man.
2.  Pump truck operator was not at the designated position to shut down
the pump and
no one else was trained to shut down the pump in case of an emergency.
3.  The discharge line was not securely anchored and was not laid as
straight as possible
without tee, elbows and other restrictions.
Among other feasible and useful methods to abate these hazards, one method
would be to
implement the following procedures:
1)  Restrict access to high pressure lines to only essential personnel,
and do not permit
the valves to be operated while pumping well fluids into the well,
2)  Designate a qualified operator to be ready to disengage the pumps at
the operating
station in case of emergency,
3) Anchor the discharge lines to prevent displacement and/or rotation.