OSHA Inspection: DOMINGUEZ WELDING LLC

Issued

2017-11-16 00:00:00

Abate by

2018-11-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2173.00 · Current $1000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): Employer had not developed, implemented or maintained at each workplace, a written hazard communication program which at least describes how the criteria specified in paragraphs (f), (g) and (h) of this section for labels and other forms of warning, safety data sheets, and employee information and training will be met:    (a) Dominguez Welding LLC, at Sekich tank battery, Weld County Road 13 and Weld County Road 32, Mead, CO: On and preceding 5/25/17, Dominguez Welding LLC had not developed, implemented or maintained at each workplace, a written hazard communication program which at least describes how the criteria specified in paragraphs (f), (g) and (h) of this section for labels and other forms of warning, safety data sheets, and employee information and training will be met.  Dominguez Welding LLC directed and controlled the work of two welder's assistants at a construction project at a crude oil tank battery.  Dominguez Welding LLC had not developed and implemented a written hazard communication program that addressed Safety Data Sheets (SDS), Global Harmonization System (GHS) labeling, multi-employer access to SDS's, and mobile work site access to SDS's.  Hazardous chemicals brought to the Sekich tank battery by Dominguez Welding LLC included, but are not limited to the following:    1.  Oxygen;  2.  Acetylene;    3.  Propane; and  4.  Welding rods.

Issued

2017-11-16 00:00:00

Abate by

2018-11-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(8):  The employer did not maintain in the workplace copies of the required Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for each hazardous chemical, and did not ensure that they were readily accessible during each work shift to employees when they were in their work area(s):    (a) Dominguez Welding LLC, at Sekich tank battery, Weld County Road 13 and Weld County Road 32, Mead, CO: On and preceding 5/25/17, Dominguez Welding LLC did not maintain in the workplace copies of the required Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for each hazardous chemical, and did not ensure that they were readily accessible during each work shift to employees when they were in their work area(s).  Dominguez Welding LLC directed and controlled the work of two welder's assistants at a construction project at a crude oil tank battery.  Dominguez Welding LLC did not have SDS's for each hazardous chemical brought to the worksite by Dominguez Welding LLC.  Dominguez Welding LLC did not ensure that SDS's were readily accessible to the welder's assistants and employees of other employers at the worksite.  Hazardous chemicals brought to the Sekich tank battery by Dominguez Welding LLC included, but are not limited to the following:    1.  Oxygen;  2.  Acetylene;    3.  Propane; and  4.  Welding rods.

Issued

2017-11-16 00:00:00

Abate by

2018-11-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3803.00 · Current $1000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2): The employer did not initiate and maintain a safety program which provides for frequent and regular inspections of jobsites, materials, and equipment to be made by a competent person (i.e., a person who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has the authority to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them):    (a) Dominguez Welding LLC, at Sekich tank battery, Weld County Road 13 and Weld County Road 32, Mead, CO: On and preceding 5/25/17, Dominguez Welding LLC did not initiate and maintain a safety program which provides for frequent and regular inspections of jobsites, materials, and equipment to be made by a competent person (i.e., a person who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has the authority to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them).  Dominguez Welding LLC directed and controlled the work of two welder's assistants at a construction project at a crude oil tank battery.  Work was performed in and adjacent to an excavation for the produced water pipe from the separator to the produced water tank and for the oil fill pipe, backpressure pipe, and bypass pipe from the separator to crude oil tank #1.  Dominguez Welding LLC did not ensure that a competent person frequently and regularly inspected the worksite.  This condition exposed a welder's assistant to excavation, fire, and explosion hazards.

Issued

2017-11-16 00:00:00

Abate by

2018-11-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1630.00 · Current $500.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.351(e): Arc welding or cutting operation(s) were not shielded by noncombustible or flame proof screens to protect employees and other persons working in the vicinity from the direct rays of the arc:    (a) Dominguez Welding LLC, at Sekich tank battery, Weld County Road 13 and Weld County Road 32, Mead, CO: On 5/25/17, Dominguez Welding LLC did not ensure that arc welding or cutting operation(s) were shielded by noncombustible or flame proof screens to protect employees and other persons working in the vicinity from the direct rays of the arc.  Dominguez Welding LLC directed and controlled the work of two welder's assistants at a construction project at a crude oil tank battery.  Dominguez Welding LLC performed arc welding upon steel pipes in an excavation at an oil tank battery.  A welder's assistant and employees of Energes Services LLC were working in and adjacent to the excavation where the welding was occurring.  The arc welding was not shielded by a noncombustible or flame proof screen to protect workers in the vicinity.  This condition exposed a welder's assistant and employees of Energes Services LLC to intense light radiation.

Issued

2017-11-16 00:00:00

Abate by

2018-11-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3803.00 · Current $1000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.352(a): Movable fire hazards in the vicinity of unmovable objects that were to be welded on, cut or heated were not taken to a safe place, or otherwise protected:    (a) Dominguez Welding LLC, at Sekich tank battery, Weld County Road 13 and Weld County Road 32, Mead, CO: On 5/25/17, Dominguez Welding LLC did not ensure that movable fire hazards in the vicinity of unmovable pipes that were to be welded on, cut or heated were protected.  Dominguez Welding LLC directed and controlled the work of two welder's assistants at a construction project at a crude oil tank battery.  Work was performed in and adjacent to an excavation for the produced water pipe from the separator to the produced water tank and for the oil fill pipe, backpressure pipe, and bypass pipe from the separator to crude oil tank #1.  The pipes from the excavation were connected to their corresponding vertical pipes (risers) which were connected to crude oil tank #1 near the top of the tank.  Crude oil tank #1 was interconnected with both crude oil tank #2 and crude oil tank #3.  Each of the three crude oil tanks had not been cleaned of their contents.  Crude oil and head space gases remained within each crude oil tank.  The pipes were unable to be moved.  Dominguez Welding LLC did not ensure that the sections of oil fill pipe, backpressure pipe, and bypass pipe were disconnected from each pipe's corresponding riser prior to using an oxyacetylene torch to cut steel pipe or using an arc welder to weld steel pipe.  Dominguez Welding LLC also did not ensure that the backpressure pipe was blocked or dead-ended to prevent headspace gases from passing through the non-closeable check valve and down the length of backpressure pipe into the excavation prior to using an oxyacetylene torch to cut steel pipe or arc welder to weld steel pipe.  Dominguez Welding LLC therefore did not ensure that the flammable headspace gases or vapors were protected from potential oxyacetylene torch and arc welding ignition sources.  This condition exposed a welder's assistant and employees of Energes Services LLC to fire and explosion hazards.      or in the alternative:    29 CFR 1926.352(i): Drums, containers, or hollow structures which have contained toxic or flammable substances were not, before welding, cutting, or heating was undertaken on them, either filled with water or thoroughly cleaned of such substances and ventilated and tested:    (a) Dominguez Welding LLC, at Sekich tank battery, Weld County Road 13 and Weld County Road 32, Mead, CO: On 5/25/17, Dominguez Welding LLC did not ensure that drums, containers, or hollow structures which have contained toxic or flammable substances were, before welding, cutting, or heating was undertaken on them, either filled with water or thoroughly cleaned of such substances and ventilated and tested.  Dominguez Welding LLC directed and controlled the work of two welder's assistants at a construction project at a crude oil tank battery.  Work was performed in and adjacent to an excavation for the oil fill pipe, backpressure pipe, and bypass pipe from the separator to crude oil tank #1.  The pipes from the excavation were connected to their corresponding vertical pipes (risers) which were connected to crude oil tank #1 near the top of the tank.  Crude oil tank #1 was interconnected with both crude oil tank #2 and crude oil tank #3.  Each of the three crude oil tanks had not been cleaned of their contents.  Crude oil and head space gases remained within each crude oil tank.  Dominguez Welding LLC did not ensure that the crude oil tanks were thoroughly cleaned, ventilated, and tested for the presence of flammable gases or vapors prior to using an oxyacetylene torch to cut steel pipe or using an arc welder to weld steel pipe, all connected to crude oil tank #1.  Dominguez Welding LLC therefore did not ensure that the flammable headspace gases or vapors were protected from potential oxyacetylene torch and arc welding ignition sources.  This condition exposed a welder's assistant and employees of Energes Services LLC to fire and explosion hazards.

Issued

2017-11-16 00:00:00

Abate by

2018-11-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.651(g)(1)(iii): Employer did not ensure that adequate precaution was taken, such as providing ventilation, to prevent employee exposure to an atmosphere containing a concentration of a flammable gas in excess of 20 percent of the lower flammable limit of the gas:    (a) Dominguez Welding LLC, at Sekich tank battery, Weld County Road 13 and Weld County Road 32, Mead, CO: On 5/25/17, Dominguez Welding LLC did not ensure that adequate precaution was taken to prevent employee exposure to an atmosphere containing a concentration of a flammable gas in excess of 20 percent of the lower flammable limit of the gas.  Dominguez Welding LLC directed and controlled the work of two welder's assistants at a construction project at a crude oil tank battery.  Work was performed in and adjacent to an excavation for the produced water pipe from the separator to the produced water tank and for the oil fill pipe, backpressure pipe, and bypass pipe from the separator to crude oil tank #1.  Dominguez Welding LLC did not ensure that all entrants to the excavation under the direction and control of Dominguez Welding LLC wore a four gas meter.  This condition exposed a welder's assistant to fire and explosion hazards.

Issued

2017-11-16 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1630.00 · Current $500.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.651(j)(2): Protection was not provided by placing and keeping excavated or other materials or equipment at least 2 feet (.61m) from the edge of excavations, or by the use of retaining devices that are sufficient to prevent materials or equipment from falling or rolling into excavations, or by a combination of both if necessary:    (a) Dominguez Welding LLC, at Sekich tank battery, Weld County Road 13 and Weld County Road 32, Mead, CO: On 5/25/17, Dominguez Welding LLC did not ensure that protection was provided by placing and keeping excavated or other materials or equipment at least 2 feet (.61m) from the edge of excavations, or by the use of retaining devices that are sufficient to prevent materials or equipment from falling or rolling into excavations, or by a combination of both if necessary.  Dominguez Welding LLC directed and controlled the work of two welder's assistants at a construction project at a crude oil tank battery.  On 5/25/17 the welder and a welder's assistant entered an excavation to perform work with the oil fill pipe, backpressure pipe, and bypass pipe from the separator to crude oil tank #1.  Dominguez Welding LLC directed the welder's assistant to enter the excavation.  Dominguez Welding LLC did not ensure that the spoil pile was at least two feet from the edge of the excavation.  This condition exposed a welder's assistant to an excavation hazard.

Issued

2017-11-16 00:00:00

Abate by

2018-11-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.651(k)(1): Daily inspections of excavations, the adjacent areas, and protective systems were not made by a competent person for evidence of a situation that could have resulted in possible cave-ins, indications of failure of protective systems, hazardous atmospheres, or other hazardous conditions:    (a) Dominguez Welding LLC, at Sekich tank battery, Weld County Road 13 and Weld County Road 32, Mead, CO: On 5/25/17, Dominguez Welding LLC did not ensure that daily inspections of excavations, the adjacent areas, and protective systems were made by a competent person for evidence of a situation that could have resulted in possible cave-ins, indications of failure of protective systems, hazardous atmospheres, or other hazardous conditions.  Dominguez Welding LLC directed and controlled the work of two welder's assistants at a construction project at a crude oil tank battery.  On 5/25/17 the welder and a welder's assistant entered an excavation to perform work with the oil fill pipe, backpressure pipe, and bypass pipe from the separator to crude oil tank #1.  Dominguez Welding LLC directed the welder's assistant to enter the excavation.  Dominguez Welding LLC did not ensure that a competent person inspected the excavation prior to entry.  This condition exposed a welder's assistant to an excavation hazard.