OSHA Inspection: SIOUX RIVER ETHANOL, LLC

Issued

2016-11-01 00:00:00

Abate by

2016-11-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $12471.00 · Current $12471.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.64(h)(2)(ii): The employer shall inform contract employers of the known potential fire, explosion, or toxic release hazards related to the contractor's work and the process.  (a)Sioux River Ethanol, LLC d/b/a POET Biorefining-Hudson @ 29619 Spur Ave., Hudson, SD, 57034: On and prior to May 6, 2016, the controlling employer did not inform a contract employer of the potential fire hazards related to opening a vent line off the top of vessel T-402, also known as the rectifier, which had the potential to contain 190-proof ethyl alcohol.  On May 6, 2016, a contract pipefitter involved in the removal of the vent line on the sixth floor of distillation building, was severely burned and later died as a result of a flash fire. Two contract pipefitters were involved in a line break of a four inch vent line pipe that contained flammable liquid (190-proof alcohol) that spilled from the line, covered one employee, and travelled through the grated flooring to the fourth floor, where the material ignited as a result of the welding work that was being conducted.  This condition exposed contract employees to fire and burn hazards.

Issued

2016-11-01 00:00:00

Abate by

2016-11-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $12471.00 · Current $12471.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.64(h)(2)(iv): The employer shall develop and implement safe work practices consistent with paragraph (f)(4) of this section, to control the entrance, presence and exit of contract employers and contract employees in covered process areas.  (a)Sioux River Ethanol, LLC d/b/a POET Biorefining-Hudson @ 29619 Spur Ave., Hudson, SD, 57034: On and prior to May 6, 2016, the controlling employer did not implement a line breaking permit process which prohibited the issuance of a line break permit to a contractor performing a line break on a line potentially containing 190-proof ethyl alcohol while hot work was being performed directly below. On May 6, 2016, a contractor pipefitter involved in the removal of the vent line on the sixth floor of distillation, was severely burned and later died as a result of a flash fire. Two subcontractor pipefitters were involved in a line break of a four-inch vent line pipe that contained flammable liquid (190-proof alcohol) that spilled from the line, covered one employee, and travelled through the grated flooring to the fourth floor, where the material ignited as a result of welding work that was being conducted. This condition exposed contractor employees to fire and burn hazards.