JOHNSTOWN, CO —
OSHA Inspection: PDC ENERGY INC
Unprogrammed Related inspection · Health discipline
At a glance
On , OSHA opened an unprogrammed Related health inspection of PDC ENERGY INC in WELD COUNTY RD 40 AND 13, W 0.5MI, S 0.1MI GADDIS HORIZONTAL PAD, JOHNSTOWN, CO 80534 (NAICS 211111). OSHA activity number 339858698.
OSHA opens inspections for many reasons — routine scheduling under a national or local emphasis program, an employee complaint or referral, or a follow-up after a reported injury. Opening or conducting an inspection is not itself an allegation or a finding that this employer broke any rule; any findings appear as the citations listed below, and citations can be contested, reduced, or withdrawn.
Where did this inspection happen?
- Establishment
- PDC ENERGY INC
- Site address
- WELD COUNTY RD 40 AND 13, W 0.5MI, S 0.1MI GADDIS HORIZONTAL PAD
- City
- JOHNSTOWN
- State
- CO
- ZIP
- 80534
- Mailing
- 1775 SHERMAN STREET, SUITE 3000, DENVER, CO 80203
What kind of inspection was it?
- Inspection type
- Unprogrammed Related (G)
- Scope
- Partial (B)
- Discipline
- Health
- Advance notice
- No
- Union status
- B
When did the case open and close?
- Opened
- Closing conference
- Case closed
- Last modified
- Data loaded
Establishment context
- NAICS code
- 211111
- Employees
- 2
- Ownership type
- A
Citations
3 citations on file for this inspection.
5(a)(1)
- Issued
- Jan 9, 2015
- Abate by
- Mar 15, 2015
- Penalty
- Initial $3,825 · Current $2,750 Reduced
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 operations: (a)PDC Energy Inc. at Weld County Roads 40 and 13, W 0.5 mile, S 0.1 mile, Gaddis Horizontal Pad, Johnstown, CO: On and before July 13th, 2014, PDC Energy Inc. 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 operations. Employees performed gauging 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 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".
Recent events (2)
- — I (S) $2750
- — Z (S) $3825
1910.134 D01 III
- Issued
- Jan 9, 2015
- Abate by
- Mar 15, 2015
- Penalty
- Initial $3,825 · Current $2,750 Reduced
General-duty citation text
29 CFR 1910.134(d)(1)(iii): The employer did not identify and evaluate the respiratory hazard in the workplace: (a)PDC Energy Inc. at Weld County Roads 40 and 13, W 0.5 mile, S 0.1 mile, Gaddis Horizontal Pad, Johnstown, CO: On and before July 13th, 2014, PDC Energy Inc. did not identify and evaluate the respiratory hazard in the workplace. Employees performed gauging 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 evaluate employee exposure to respiratory hazards, including oxygen deficient atmospheres and hydrocarbon gases and vapors, including benzene. This condition exposed employees to respiratory hazards.
Recent events (2)
- — I (S) $2750
- — Z (S) $3825
1910.146 C02
- Issued
- Jan 9, 2015
- Abate by
- Feb 13, 2015
- Penalty
- Initial $2,295 · Current $0 Reduced
General-duty citation text
29 CFR 1910.146(c)(2): The employer did not inform exposed employees, by posting danger signs or by any other equally effective means, of the existence and location of and the danger posed by the permit spaces: (a)PDC Energy Inc. at Weld County Roads 40 and 13, W 0.5 mile, S 0.1 mile, Gaddis Horizontal Pad, Johnstown, CO: On and before July 13th, 2014, PDC Energy Inc. did not inform exposed employees, by posting danger signs or by any other equally effective means, of the existence and location of and the danger posed by the permit spaces. Multiple tanks containing crude oil were located at the tank battery. The tanks contained hazardous atmospheres, including hydrocarbon vapors in excess of the Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) and oxygen deficient atmospheres. Signs informing employees of the existence and danger posed by the tanks were not posted at either the access hatches at ground level nor on the tanks themselves. This condition exposed employees to a hazardous atmosphere hazard.
Recent events (2)
- — I (S) $0
- — Z (S) $2295
More inspections at PDC Energy INC
View PDC Energy INC's full OSHA safety record →
More inspections in this industry (NAICS 211111)
More inspections in CO
Source
This record is reproduced from the U.S. Department of Labor Open Data API (OSHA inspection dataset). The original IMIS detail view is available at OSHA's Establishment Search for activity number 339858698.
Look up any company's OSHA accident reports by company, or browse severe injury reports by year, state, and company.