OSHA Inspection: WELDED CONSTRUCTION,L.P.

Issued

Feb 21, 2003

Abate by

Mar 26, 2003

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $5,000 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 hazard of being struck by flying or whipping pipe
sections caused when
these pressurized pipe sections violently separate due to the failure to
anchor/restrain or
sufficiently anchor/restrain pipe sections:
a)  PP&L Pipeline Terminal, Martins Creek, PA - An employee was fatally
injured when
struck by a 10 foot section of 6 inch diameter steel pipe during the
de-watering of a
newly constructed 20 inch natural gas pipeline.  This temporary,
pressurized 6 inch pipe
separated violently at or near the temporary de-watering valve which was
secured to
PP&L's permanent 6 inch line due to the failure to anchor/restrain or
sufficiently
anchor/restrain these temporary sections of pipe, on or about October 4,
2002.
ABATEMENT NOTE:  An engineering study shall be conducted on the fluid
forces and other
forces that these temporary pipelines are exposed to during dewatering
operations.  Based upon
this determination, engineered design(s) and/or installation techniques
shall be developed for the
installation and use of these temporary pipelines.  These designs and
techniques may either be
developed on a project by project basis or a "worst case" basis that may
be applied to all
projects.  Employees installing temporary pipelines shall be trained in
these installation designs
and techniques and be required to use them when installing these temporary
systems.
Abatement certification and documentation required within 10 days after
abatement date.  The
certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, the
date and method of
abatement, and state that employees and their representatives were
informed of this abatement.
Abatement documentation shall include documents demonstrating that
abatement is complete,
such as evidence of the purchase or repair of equipment, photographic or
video evidence of
abatement or other written records.