OSHA Inspection: BLACK HAWK ENERGY SERVICES LTD.

Issued

2023-02-28 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-03-10 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $14063.00 · Current $10000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

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 who were exposed to fire and explosion hazards:  (a) On or about September 2, 2022, at or near 58th Street NW and 92nd Avenue NW in Ross, North Dakota, employees were exposed to fire and explosion hazards while conducting a circulation/clean out of the well during well servicing operations where bonding and grounding was not adequate.  (b) On or about September 2, 2022, at or near 58th Street NW and 92nd Avenue NW in Ross, North Dakota, employees were exposed to fire and explosion hazards while conducting a circulation/clean out of the well during well servicing operations where adequate monitoring was not provided for detection of flammable vapors.  (c) On or about September 2, 2022, at or near 58th Street NW and 92nd Avenue NW in Ross, North Dakota, employees were exposed to fire and explosion hazards while conducting a circulation/clean out of the well during well servicing operations where a fire risk assessment was not conducted prior to the commencement of operations where flammable vapors and potential sources of ignition were present.   Note: Among other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct this hazard include but are not limited to:  1. Follow the American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 54, Occupational Safety and Health for Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Operations section 5.2 "Fire Safety"; and Section 6.7 "Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) Environment and Hazardous Atmospheres". 2. Follow the American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 99, Flash Fire Risk Assessment for the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry section 4 - which requires that a Fire Risk Assessment be conducted to assess the risk of flammable vapors reaching an ignition source. 3. Follow NFPA 77 - Recommended Practice On Static Electricity guidance for grounding and bonding connections being made using bolts, pressure type ground clamps or other special clamps. Pressure type ground clamps should have sufficient pressure to penetrate any protective coating, rust or spilled material to ensure contact with the base metal.