OSHA Inspection: INTERNATIONAL PAPER - VICKSBURG MILL

Issued

Oct 31, 2008

Abate by

Dec 19, 2008

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of Public Law 91-596, 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 explosion hazards
from insufficiently
odorized natural gas being used as fuel for recovery boiler burners and
igniters due to inadequate
odorization procedures.
(a)International Paper - Vicksburg Mill, 3737 Highway 3 North, Redwood, MS
39156, Power Plant - On or about Saturday, May 3, 2008 while re-starting
the mill's
black liquor recovery boiler after an annual outage, employees working
round the boiler
were exposed to fire and explosion hazards due to no verification that the
mill's natural
gas supply had been adequately odorized at the mill's gas yard. The gas
was being piped
to eight class 1 continuous burners and igniters located on four sides of
the recovery
boiler on the power plant's second floor and to four class 1 continuous
burners and
igniters located on two sides of the recovery boiler on the power plant's
fourth floor.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard is
to comply with ASME/ANSI/USAS B31.8-1968, Gas Transmission and
Distribution Piping
Systems, and with USDOT Standard 49 CFR Part 192 - Transportation of
Natural and Other Gas
by Pipeline: Minimum Federal Safety Standards, specifically Sections
192.601-192.625, to
develop a scientifically derived odorant-injection-rate for the amount of
gas delivered to the
various usage points inside the mill and furthermore establish
well-communicated, written
control procedures to ensure that testing is done and records are kept for
verifying the presence
of odorant in the mill's natural gas piping system.

Issued

Oct 31, 2008

Abate by

Dec 19, 2008

Penalty

Initial $70,000 · Current $7,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of Public Law 91-596, 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: a violent spray of steam,
condensate, fire and
boiler parts during the explosion of a recovery boiler due to employer's
failure to develop
written boiler set-up and operating procedures and a program of operator
training specific to the
modified-natural-draft method, which would preclude the possibility of an
unsafe fuel/air ratio
inside the boiler's furnace.
(a)International Paper - Vicksburg Mill, 3737 Highway 3 North, Redwood, MS
39156, Power Plant - On or about Saturday, May 3, 2008 while re-starting
the mill's
black liquor recovery boiler after an annual outage employees working
around the boiler
were exposed to a violent explosion. The boiler was being re-fired under
modified-
natural-draft conditions using natural gas as fuel but without adequate
written
set-up and
operating procedures having been communicated to the boiler operators, or
enough steam
to supply the motive power to turn the auxiliary fans used to create
normal combustion-
draft conditions in the furnace.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard is
to comply with National Fire Protection Association's NFPA 85, Boiler and
Combustion Systems
Hazards Code, 2007 Edition to develop written boiler set-up and operating
procedures and a
program of operator training, specific to the modified-natural-draft
start-up method which would
preclude the possibility of an unsafe fuel/air ratio inside the boiler's
furnace.