OSHA Inspection: DJ BASIN TRANSPORT LLC

Issued

Dec 18, 2014

Abate by

Feb 21, 2015

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $2,800

General-duty citation text

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): 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 respiratory hazards during tank gauging and crude oil sampling operations:    (a)  DJ Basin Transport LLC, at Wells Ranch Econode 5 & 6, Gill, CO: On and preceding 6/24/14, DJ Basin Transport LLC 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 respiratory hazards during tank gauging and crude oil sampling operations.  Employees performed gauging and sampling of crude oil at the oil well tank battery.  Employees performed these tasks at open thief hatches and adjacent to opened blow down vents.  Flammable hydrocarbon gases were vented through open thief hatches and blow down vents.  The employer did not develop and utilize procedures for gauging and sampling that did not expose employees to an oxygen deficient atmosphere and hydrocarbon gases and vapors.  This condition exposed employees to respiratory hazards.    Abatement Note:  Among other methods, feasible abatement methods include:    (1)  Installation and use of ground level tank gauges to eliminate need for employees to climb onto tanks to perform tank gauging.  Refer to American Petroleum Institute Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards Chapter 3.1B "Standard Practice for Level Measurement of Liquid Hydrocarbons in Stationary Tanks by Automatic Tank Gauging".    (2)  Use of crude oil sampling methods that do not require access through an open thief hatch, i.e., tank taps or use of vapor control valves with restricted or closed sampling equipment.  Refer to American Petroleum Institute Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards Chapter 8.1 "Standard Practice for Manual Sampling of Petroleum and Petroleum Products" Section 9 "Sampling Requirements, Considerations, and Procedures".

Issued

Dec 18, 2014

Abate by

Jan 22, 2015

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $2,200 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1): Employer had not provided employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment, and whenever a new chemical hazard the employees have not previously been trained about is introduced into their work area:    (a)  DJ Basin Transport LLC, at Wells Ranch Econode 5 & 6, Gill, CO: On and preceding 6/24/14, DJ Basin Transport LLC had not provided employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment, and whenever a new chemical hazard the employees have not previously been trained about is introduced into their work area.  Employees performed gauging and sampling of crude oil at the oil well tank battery.  Employees performed these tasks at open thief hatches and adjacent to opened blow down vents.  Flammable hydrocarbon gases were vented through open thief hatches and blow down vents.  The employer did not train employees with regards to oxygen deficient atmospheres, which are Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH).  This condition exposed employees to a respiratory hazard.