OSHA Inspection: FERRELLGAS, L.P. LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Mar 11, 2014

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(d)(3)(i)(B): The employer did not include all equipment that was part of the process on piping and instrument diagrams:   a. At the site, the piping and instrumentation diagrams were not complete, in that, propane supplied equipment such as, but not limited to, the washer, the burner and the ventilation system were not included on the diagrams.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Mar 11, 2014

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(e)(1): The employer did not perform an initial process hazard analysis (hazard evaluation) on processes covered by 29 CFR 1910.119:      a. At the site, the Process Hazard Analysis conducted did not include all covered processes and operations such as, but not limited to, propane in individual 20 lbs. cylinders which were stored in the yard in an aggregate quantity of over 560,000 lbs, where an incident could involve a flammable gas over the threshold quantity of 10,000 lbs.    b. At the site, the Process Hazard Analysis did not include all operations and process equipment and components such as, but not limited to, the heater, the washer, the ventilation system and re-valving operations, where an incident could affect the propane process piping and equipment or other components of the propane system.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Jan 28, 2014

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.110(b)(14)(iv): The employer did not assure that LP Gas or liquid was not be vented to the atmosphere to assist in transferring contents of one container to another, except as provided in paragraph (e)(5)(iv) of this section and except that this shall not preclude the use of listed pump utilizing LP-Gas in the vapor phase as a source of energy and venting such gas to the atmosphere at a rate not to exceed that from a No. 31 drill size opening and provided that such venting and liquid transfer shall be located not less than 50 feet from the nearest important building.   a. At the site, employees were exposed to fire and explosion hazards, in that, propane cylinders were bled in the yard during cylinder refurbishing and filling operations

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Mar 11, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(f)(1): The employer did not develop and implement written operating procedures that provide clear instructions for safely conducting activities involved in each covered process.   a. At the site, employees were exposed to fire and explosion hazards during cylinder refurbishing and filling operations.:  Employees were allowed to deviate from EVAC procedures by bleeding cylinders on the conveyor lines by sending cylinders to blasting with the bleeder screws open, by bleeding cylinders between buildings, and by blasting cylinders with propane in them;   Operating procedures were not developed and implemented to address the resetting of propane alarms and were not clear and detailed in addressing issues such as, but not limited to, how cylinders are evacuated when a valve is damaged, how cylinders are connected and removed on the Automated Propane Recovery System (evac) manifold (removing or adding one cylinder at a time or six cylinders at a time);   Operating procedures were not developed and implemented that would address forklift operations when using forklifts that are not explosion proof, and truck traffic right through the storage yard between stored cylinders where propane may be present. Testing procedures for the presence of propane were developed and implemented to establish a safe passage of trucks or forklifts through the yard;   Written operating procedures were not developed and implemented to address work operations during shift changes.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Mar 11, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(f)(1)(i)(D): The employer did not develop and implement written operating procedures that provide clear instructions for emergency shutdown, including the conditions under which emergency shutdown is required, and the assignment of shutdown responsibility to qualified operators to ensure that emergency shutdown is executed in a safe and timely manner.  a. At the site, employees were exposed to fire and explosion hazards, in that, emergency operating procedures were not developed and implemented to handle deviations from normal operating conditions, such as, but not limited to, steps taken when a work station is not functioning or it is down and cylinder refurbishing could not continue.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Mar 11, 2014

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(g)(1)(i): The employer did not train each employee before being involved in operating a newly assigned process in the operating procedures as specified in paragraph (f) of this section.   a. At the site, proper training was not provided for employees operating a propane cylinder refurbishing and filling process to include information such as but not limited to, location of yellow and red propane alarm sensors and what they meant, propane recovery system (evac) panel and pressure warnings as well as proper fill sequence, opening and closing valves at the propane recovery system (evac) and what flows (vapor vs liquid) they control, knowledge on the propane recovery process and what causes pipes to freeze and steps to avoid it, valve and seam check procedures.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Mar 11, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(j)(3): The employer did not train each employee involved in maintaining the on-going integrity of process equipment in an overview of the process and in the procedures applicable to the employee's job tasks to ensure that the employee can perform the job tasks in a safe manner:   a. At the site, employees involved in maintaining process equipment were not provided with training and education on the process mechanics and the systems involved such as, but not limited to, the propane transfer from the evac system to the nurse tank and then transfer to the bulk tanks.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Mar 11, 2014

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(h)(2)(i): The employer, when selecting a contractor, did not obtain and evaluate information regarding the contract employer's safety performance and program:   a. At the site, an evaluation of the contractors was not conducted who were brought into the facility to do work on process equipment or on equipment that can affect the covered process and result in a catastrophic incident when operated near the covered process such as but not limited to, forklift maintenance, process equipment maintenance, lighting maintenance and ventilation system maintenance.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Feb 10, 2014

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(j)(2): The employer did not establish or implement written procedures to maintain the ongoing integrity of process equipment:       a. At the site, employees were exposed to fire and explosion hazards, in that, maintenance procedures such as, but not limited to, vibration testing and nondestructive procedures and testing to establish any internal corrosion and wall thinning were not developed and/or implemented where employees are involved in the maintenance of above ground propane piping and components, pressure vessels and pumps associated with the covered process.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Feb 3, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(j)(5): The employer did not correct deficiencies in equipment that were outside acceptable limits (defined by the process safety information in paragraph (d) of this section) in a safe and timely manner and necessary means were not taken to assure safe operation.       a. At the site, employees were exposed to fire and explosion hazards, in that, deficiencies such as, but not limited to, an improperly functioning propane recovery system possibly due to a disconnected solenoid valve transferring propane from the nurse tank to the bulk tanks was not corrected when discovered, causing the evacuation system to be very slow in evacuating cylinders. The automatic propane recovery system was operated with the valve disconnected for a year and a half.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Mar 11, 2014

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(a): Protective equipment including protective clothing was not used when necessary whenever hazards capable of causing injury and impairment were encountered:   a. At the site, employees handling propane cylinders during their work shift or at the end of the shift during cylinder refurbishing operations, who were exposed to potential flash fires, they were required to wear clothing which was flame retardant such as 100% cotton or wool.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Jan 28, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.133(a)(1): The employer did not ensure that each affected employee uses appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to eye or face hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation:   a. At the site, employees were exposed to eye injuries, in that, the use of eye or face protection was not enforced while handling, filling or bleeding propane cylinders.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Jan 28, 2014

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(c)(2)(iii): Only approved power-operated industrial trucks designated as EX were not used in atmospheres containing any of the chemicals referenced in this section in quantities sufficient to produce explosive or ignitable mixtures, and where such concentrations of these gases or vapors exist continuously, intermittently or periodically under normal operating conditions or may exist frequently because of repair, maintenance operations, leakage, breakdown or faulty operation of equipment: (Note: See 1910.178(c)(2)(iii) for list of chemicals).   a. At the yard area, employees were exposed to fire hazards, in that, the forklifts used in areas where propane was likely to be present due to leaking or bleeding cylinders were not of the explosion proof (EX) type as required for Class I Division 1 location.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(q)(1): Any power-operated industrial truck not in safe operating condition was not taken out of service, and/or repairs were not made by authorized personnel:    a. At the site, forklifts operated in hazardous locations where cylinders were leaking or being bled were not removed from service, so that repairs can be made by authorized personnel, after drivers reported that the lifts were having engine problems such as engine backfire, loss of power and problems while starting the engine.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Feb 10, 2014

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(1)(i): The employer did not ensure that each powered industrial truck operator is competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely, as demonstrated by the successful completion of the training and evaluation specified in this paragraph (l):   a. At the site, employees were allowed to operate a forklift without proper forklift training as required.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Feb 3, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(2)(iii): Operators training and evaluation was not conducted by persons who have the knowledge, training, and experience to train powered industrial truck operators and evaluate their competence:   a. At the site, forklift operators were required to operate a forklift daily for 10 hours nonstop without being trained by a person who demonstrated their knowledge and experience in training forklift operators and at times forklift training evaluations were conducted by other forklift operators.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Mar 11, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(4)(iii): An evaluation of each powered industrial truck operator's performance was not being conducted at least once every three years:   a. At the site, employees were required to operate a forklift nonstop during their shift without being evaluated as required at least every three years.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Penalty

Initial $3,000 · Current $3,000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(b): Machine(s) designed for fixed location(s) were not securely anchored to prevent walking or moving:   a. XP building re-valve station, valve machine number 1 was not anchored to the floor as designed.    b. Maintenance trailer, a Delta 2007 31XL table top drill press was not anchored in place to prevent it from tipping over when used.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Penalty

Initial $3,000 · Current $3,000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.215(b)(9): The distance between the abrasive wheel periphery(s) and the adjustable tongue or the end of the safety guard peripheral member at the top exceeded one fourth inch:   a. At the maintenance trailer, a Dewalt bench grinder had the adjustable tongue at 1 inch on the left side and 3/4 of an inch at the right side from the grinding wheel.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Feb 3, 2014

Penalty

Initial $4,000 · Current $4,000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1): Employees were not provided effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment and whenever a new hazard that the employees had not been previously trained about was introduced into their work area:   a. At the site, new employees were exposed to propane being bled from cylinders prior to being provided the required training.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(d)(1): Flights of stairs having four or more risers were not equipped with a standard railing as specified in paragraphs (d)(1)(i) through (v) of this section:    a. Sleeve Station, a 5 riser stairway used by employees to access the sleeve machine during setup did not have handrails on the one side. The stairway had a five riser flight on both sides of the sleeve machine and both flights were missing the railings on one side.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Feb 3, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(B): The energy control procedures did not clearly and specifically outline the steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy:   a. The lockout procedures developed were not complete, in that, the magnitude of energy was not included in the isolation steps to provide the required information to the authorized employee as addressed under paragraph (d)(1) of 1910.147 standards.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Feb 3, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(D): The energy control procedures did not clearly and specifically outline the requirements for testing a machine or equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of lockout devices, tagout devices, and other energy control measures:   a. The lockout procedures developed were not complete, in that, an energy isolation verification step was not included to verify that isolation or release of the energy used to operate a machine was effective.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Abate by

Feb 3, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(f)(3)(i): A procedure was not utilized to afford the employees a level of protection equivalent to that provided by the implementation of a personal lockout or tagout device when servicing and/or maintenance was performed by a crew, craft or other group:     a. At the site, when employees or contract employer employees work on the same equipment a group lockout procedure was not developed and implemented  to assure personal lockout protection for each employee or contract employee as required under 1910.147(f)(3)(ii).

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(b)(2): Listed or labeled electrical equipment was not used or installed in accordance with instructions included in the listing or labeling:   a. AP building, employees were exposed to electrical hazards, in that, a 220 volt extension strip was made by using an electrical box which was not mounted on a wall surface as designed and was used to supply portable power to a Millermatic 251 welder.

Issued

Jan 27, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(g)(2)(iii): Flexible cords and cables were not connected to devices and fittings so that strain relief was provided that would prevent pull from being directly transmitted to joints or terminal screws:   a. AP building, employees were exposed to electrical hazards, in that, an electrical conduit under the conveyor near the washer was broken off from the junction box thus allowing pull to be transmitted to the wiring of the drive motor for the conveyor.