OSHA Inspection: THE CHARLES MACHINE WORKS, INC.

Issued

May 1, 2002

Abate by

May 6, 2002

Penalty

Initial $4,500 · Current $4,500

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:
Explosion hazard.  Failure to notify to determine underground facilities
at site of excavation.
Employees were testing a tractor/trencher.  During the testing, the
tractor/trencher made a five
feet deep excavation which cut into a pressurized natural gas pipeline.
The cut into the pipeline
created an explosion that caused the death of the employee operating the
unit.  The incident and
operational testing was conducted at the Vanbebber rock quarry test site
located northwest of the
city on February 8, 2002.
The required and acceptable abatement method to correct the hazard is to
first notify the
Oklahoma One-Call System to determine whether any operators have
underground facilities in
or near the proposed area of excavation.
***Certification and Documentation of Abatement Required***on