OSHA Inspection: GENE D. YOST & SON, INC.

Issued

Feb 27, 2008

Abate by

Mar 3, 2008

Penalty

Initial $5,600 · Current $5,600

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 fire and/or explosion hazards in that
(a) Springer Well #13: On or about 12/03/2007 two employees were removing
a BOP blowout preventor flange from the orbital valve of the pressurized
well
head.  As the workers were unscrewing the flange, they inadvertently were
also
disengaging the threads at the nipple and the section of piping at the
well head
until only two threads remained intact.  The natural gas pressure blew the
Tulsa
orbital valve, the BOP flange and the section of piping from the wellhead
which
resulted in one worker being fatally injured and the other worker seriously
injured.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method of abatement is to
maintain well control at all times. Consideration must be made to ensure
appropriate equipment and materials are on location and operational before
work
commences as outlined in the American Petroleum Institute, Recommended
Practice for Occupational Safety for Oil and Gas Well Drilling and
Servicing
Operations, API Recommended Practice 54, Third Edition, Section 6.1.1,
dated
1999, reaffirmed 2007.