OSHA Inspection: BLUE DOLPHIN ENERGY COMPANY

Issued

Oct 11, 2019

Abate by

Oct 28, 2019

Penalty

Initial $5,626 · Current $3,376 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(d)(3): The employer did not complete a compilation of written process safety information pertaining to the equipment in the process.  On or about 14 May 2019, and at times prior thereto, the employer did not have the process safety information regarding the two yellow Maxon Gas Electro-Mechanical Valves associated with unit H-201 Crude Charge Heater.

Issued

Oct 11, 2019

Abate by

Dec 2, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(d)(3)(i)(B): The employer's piping and instrument diagrams were not accurate and did not represent equipment that was existing and was part of the process.  On or about 14 May 2019, and at times prior thereto, the piping and instrumentation diagram for unit H-201 Crude Charge Heater was not up-to-date and did not indicate the addition of two Maxon valves from August 2014.

Issued

Oct 11, 2019

Abate by

Dec 2, 2019

Penalty

Initial $9,377 · Current $5,626 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(j)(4)(i): Inspections and tests were not performed on process equipment.  On or about 14 May 2019, and at times prior thereto, the Fisher Control Valve and Maxon Gas Electro-Mechanical Valves were not inspected and tested as prescribed by the manufacturer, exposing employees to the hazard of a fire or explosion from a valve failure.

Issued

Oct 11, 2019

Abate by

Dec 2, 2019

Penalty

Initial $9,377 · Current $5,626 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(l)(1): The employer did not establish or implement written procedures to manage changes to process chemicals, technology, equipment, and procedures, and changes to facilities that affect a covered process.  On or about 14 May 2019, and at times prior thereto, the management of change documentation for the original installation of Maxon Gas Electro-Mechanical Valves in October 2014 for Crude Charge Heater H-201 was not on file at the plant or elsewhere, exposing employees to the hazard of a fire or explosion from a valve failure.

Issued

Oct 11, 2019

Abate by

Oct 28, 2019

Penalty

Initial $5,626 · Current $3,376 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(m)(4): A written incident report was not prepared at the conclusion of the investigation that included at a minimum: the date of the incident; date the investigation began; a description of the incident; the factors that contributed to the incident; any recommendations resulting from the investigation; and the recommendation's resolutions.  On or about 13 May 2019, and at times prior thereto, the employer did not prepare a written incident investigation for the event involving H-201 Crude Unit Heater and the resulting backfire which injured an employee.

Issued

Oct 11, 2019

Abate by

Oct 18, 2019

Penalty

Initial $5,626 · Current $3,376 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(n): The employer did not establish and implement an emergency plan for the entire plant in accordance with the provisions of 29 CFR 1910.38.  On or about 14 May 2019, and at times prior thereto, the windsock for the production area mounted on the crude tower was torn and damaged, exposing the workers in the area to the hazard of a vapor-cloud fire or explosion.

Issued

Oct 11, 2019

Abate by

Dec 2, 2019

Penalty

Initial $1,876 · Current $1,126 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1904.33(a): The OSHA 300 Log, the privacy case list (if one exists), the annual summary, and the OSHA 301 Incident Report forms were not saved for five (5) years following the end of the calendar year that these records covered.  On 14 May 2019, at the inspection site, the OSHA forms for recordkeeping were not saved for a period of at least five years following the end of the calendar year that these records covered.