Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 002 Hazard: STRUCK BY

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: 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 in that employees were exposed to a fire/explosion hazard: At the Garcia Lease Well #5 during well workover operations, the employer did not protect employees from the recognized hazard of venting potentially flammable offgas vapors directly under the truck in close proximity to the immediate work area and potential ignition sources (e.g. truck engine and exhaust system). On April 8, 1999, an employee was fatally struck by flying parts from a vacuum truck where the cargo tank exploded while accepting an overflow of petroleum oil/gas mixture via direct connection to the well head. Among others, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct these hazards would be to vent potentially hazardous offgas from vacuum truck tanks to a safe location, as referenced in the API Publication 2219 (1986), Paragraph 7.4 which states, "When volatile flammable or toxic liquids are loaded, the vacuum pump exhaust should be vented downwind of the truck by attaching a length of hose sufficient to reach an area that is free from hazards and personnel (see 7.1)."