OSHA Inspection: ALBEMARLE CORPORATION

Issued

May 7, 2007

Abate by

May 24, 2007

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 to employees in
that:
a)At the Albemarle Corporation facility located at 2500 N. South ST., in
Pasadena,
Texas, utility loaders/operators were exposed to the hazards of fire and
possible
explosion when they were allowed to deviate from procedures for
loading/unloading railroad tank cars. The Utility loader/operator deviated
from
procedures when they initiated the hook up and disconnecting process
without a
second person. The procedures specifically state, " Two (2) persons wearing
aluminized flash suits with dry powder fire extinguishers are required to
connect
and disconnect alkyl tank cars.
Among other methods,one feasible and acceptable abatement method is to:
1.Perform an annual program audit which could include on the job
evaluations as well as program compliance.
2.Recordkeeping audit program, checking for form completion as well as
data accuracy
b)Albemarle employees were exposed to the hazards of fire and possible
explosion
when the employer did not develop and implement a car seal procedure for
securing the manual valves on railroad tank cars.  Employees were required
by
the loading/unloading procedures to install a car seal to insure that the
product
(Di-Methyl Aluminum Chloride) could not be tampered with by customers or
any
other unauthorized personnel without evidence of tampering .
Among other methods,one feasible and acceptable abatement method is to:
1.Implement carseal training into the computer based training curriculum
for
loading/unloading Tank cars as well as job task observation by
supervisors.
2.Develop and implement a carseal procedure.
3.Install tie off points for the carseals.