OSHA Inspection: CAROLINA PROPANE, LLC

Issued

Oct 7, 2004

Abate by

Nov 3, 2004

Penalty

Initial $1,050 · Current $1,050

General-duty citation text

North Carolina General Statute 95-129(1) of the Occupational Safety and
Health Act of North
Carolina:  The employer did not furnish each of his employees conditions
of employment and
a place of employment 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)burns, as the result of an explosion. An employee attempted to improperly
purge air from a residential propane gas system by repeatedly opening the
supply line to the hot water tank and then attempted to light the pilot
for the
hot water tank without using propane gas detection equipment to check for
an
explosive atmosphere, thereby contributing to an explosion at 145 Tate
Vernon
Lane, Eden on 6/29/04.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method would be
to follow the guidance in National Propane Gas Association bulletin #403-83
under "Purging The Distribution System" on page 4, and to use an
appropriate
propane gas detection instrument before attempting to light an appliance.

Issued

Oct 7, 2004

Abate by

Nov 26, 2004

Penalty

Initial $1,050 · Current $1,050

General-duty citation text

North Carolina General Statute 95-129(1) of the Occupational Safety and
Health Act of
North Carolina:  The employer did not furnish each of his employees
conditions of
employment and a place of employment 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)burns, as the result of an explosion. Employees were not trained to
properly
purge a residential propane gas system and light an appliance pilot,
thereby
contributing an explosion at 145 Tate Vernon Lane, Eden on 6/29/04.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct the hazard is to train employees on the proper procedure for
purging a
residential propane gas system and lighting an appliance pilot.nce