OSHA Inspection: VALLEY LINES, INC.

Issued

May 23, 2016

Abate by

Jun 17, 2016

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $6,000 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 was free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in the employees were exposed to fire and explosion hazards from compressed natural gas regeneration and filling operations due to improper qualifications, design, supervision and operations:    A.)   Valley Lines, Inc., 1432 Pennsylvania Route 66, New Bethlehem, PA  16242, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling station, on or about November 25, 2015 and times prior thereto:  Employees were exposed to fire and explosion injuries from CNG regeneration and filling operations due to improper qualifications.  The company operates an outside CNG filling station to fill buses fueled on CNG.  The designers, fabricators, installers and constructors of the CNG filling station were not qualified, and did not have the expertise in the design, fabrication and construction of CNG systems.      B.)   Valley Lines, Inc., 1432 Pennsylvania Route 66, New Bethlehem, PA  16242, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling station, on or about November 25, 2015 and times prior thereto:  Employees were exposed to fire and explosion injuries from CNG regeneration and filling operations due to improper qualifications of the supervision.  The company operates an outside CNG filling station to fill buses fueled on CNG.  The supervision of the CNG system was supervised by unqualified personnel.      C.)   Valley Lines, Inc., 1432 Pennsylvania Route 66, New Bethlehem, PA  16242, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling station, on or about November 25, 2015 and times prior thereto:  Employees were exposed to fire and explosion injuries from CNG regeneration and filling operations due to improper design.  The company operates an outside CNG filling station to fill buses fueled on CNG.  The CNG cylinders were stored in a trailer.  The trailer was not equipped with a gas detection system to monitor the lower flammable limit within the trailer.      D.)   Valley Lines, Inc., 1432 Pennsylvania Route 66, New Bethlehem, PA  16242, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling station, on or about November 25, 2015 and times prior thereto:  Employees were exposed to fire and explosion injuries from CNG regeneration and filling operations due to improper design.  The company operates an outside CNG filling station to fill buses fueled on CNG.  The ventilation system for the trailer exhausted the flammable gases out of the trailer across the electrical components of the fan.  The ventilation system was not designed and constructed to positively pressurize the trailer to force the flammable gases away from the electrical components and out the vents on the trailer.      E.)   Valley Lines, Inc., 1432 Pennsylvania Route 66, New Bethlehem, PA  16242, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling station, on or about November 25, 2015 and times prior thereto:  Employees were exposed to fire and explosion injuries from CNG regeneration and filling operations due to improper operations.  The company operates an outside CNG filling station to fill buses fueled on CNG.  The company did not develop written instructions for CNG dispensing systems including, but not limited to, operating instructions, emergency shutdown instructions, maintenance and repair instructions.      F.)   Valley Lines, Inc., 1432 Pennsylvania Route 66, New Bethlehem, PA  16242, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling station, on or about November 25, 2015 and times prior thereto:  Employees were exposed to fire and explosion injuries from CNG regeneration and filling operations due to improper operations.  The company operates an outside CNG filling station to fill buses fueled on CNG.  The company did not maintain written maintenance records when performing maintenance operations including, but not limited to, changing oil on the CNG station compressor.

Issued

May 23, 2016

Abate by

Jun 17, 2016

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $3,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.307(c): Equipment, wiring methods, and installations of equipment in hazardous (classified) locations were not intrinsically safe, approved for the hazardous (classified) location, or safe for the hazardous (classified) location:    A.)  Valley Lines, Inc., 1432 Pennsylvania Route 66, New Bethlehem, PA  16242, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling station, on or about November 25, 2015 and times prior thereto:  A flexible cord used to power equipment including, but not limited to, an exhaust fan on the CNG cylinder storage trailer, were not designed for Class I areas.

Issued

May 23, 2016

Abate by

Jun 17, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(g)(1)(iv): Flexible cords and/ or cables were used for purposes prohibited by paragraphs (A) through (F) of 29 CFR 1910.305(g)(1)(iv):   A.)  Valley Lines, Inc., 1432 Pennsylvania Route 66, New Bethlehem, PA  16242, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling station, on or about November 25, 2015 and times prior thereto:  A flexible cord was used a permanent wiring to power the exhaust fan on the trailer.  The flexible cord ran from inside of the building, under a garage door, and to the CNG trailer exhaust fan.

Issued

May 23, 2016

Abate by

Jun 17, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.145(c)(3): Safety instruction sign(s) were not used where there was a need for general instructions and suggestions relative to safety measure(s):  A.)   Valley Lines, Inc., 1432 Pennsylvania Route 66, New Bethlehem, PA  16242, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling station, on or about November 25, 2015 and times prior thereto:  Employees were operating a CNG filling station to fuel school buses.  Safety instruction signs were not posted to instruct operators at the filling station to stop and/or shut down the vehicle's motor prior to filling.