Operating Experience Summary 2008-11
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Operating Experience Summary f U.S. Department of Energy Office of Health, Safety and Security OE Summary 2008-11 December 9, 2008 Inside This Issue • Always Check for Overhead Lines When Moving Large Equipment .................................. 1 • Propane-Fueled Forklift Trucks— A Potential Carbon Monoxide Hazard ....................................... 4 • Effective Flowdown of Hazardous Energy Controls to Subcontractor Workers ............7 OPERATING EXPERIENCE SUMMARY Issue Number 2008-11, Article 1: Always Check for Overhead Lines When Moving Large Equipment download this article While the excavator was moving, the boom snagged communication lines that were 17 feet above the roadway, Always Check for Overhead Lines causing a utility pole to break off near ground level and fall to When Moving Large Equipment the ground. The nearest worker was more than 20 feet away from where the pole landed. The falling utility pole caused a second utility pole to snap off (Figure 1-2) and fall toward a 1 small concrete out-building containing diesel generators. The On September 10, 2008, at the Hanford Site, an equipment fallen poles displaced three underground 110-volt and 240-volt operator was moving an excavator out of a construction area electrical lines that were run inside conduit. The 110-volt line when the excavator boom hit an overhead communication line, shorted out and tripped the supply circuit breaker. pulling down two poles and exposing underground electrical lines (Figure 1-1). The equipment operator chose not to The work package identified the overhead hazards and the interrupt other work to get a spotter or flagman and did not requirements for spotters and full retraction of the boom. lower the primary boom for transport. (ORPS Report EM-RL-- Although the equipment operator was aware of these require- PHMC-PFP-2008-0005; final report issued October 8, 2008) ments, he did not follow them. Communication Line Underground Electrical Lines Figure 1-1. The accident scene with excavator and downed utility pole Figure 1-2. Snapped off utility pole Office of Health, Safety and Security Page 1 of 10 December 9, 2008 OPERATING EXPERIENCE SUMMARY Issue Number 2008-11, Article 1: Always Check for Overhead Lines When Moving Large Equipment download this article This incident resulted in two destroyed utility poles; damaged • Another ETTP event occurred on the east side of the K-25 underground electrical lines, conduit, and boxes; downed building on August 8, 2008, when an excavator was being communication lines; and dislocated communication line relocated, but in that event, the excavator hit only the connections to buildings. power pole, not the overhead line. After the event, use of At least two OSHA requirements were violated in this incident. heavy equipment was restricted. (ORPS Report EM-ORO--BJC- OSHA regulation 29 CFR 1910.333(c)(3)(III)(A) states, in part: K25ENVRES-2008-0020) “Any vehicle or mechanical equipment capable of having parts of • On May 5, 2008, at the Hanford Site, while electrical its structure elevated near energized lines shall be operated so linemen were moving a bucket truck that had been used that a clearance of 10 feet is maintained.” (NOTE: If the vehicle during electrical switching, the cradled boom on the truck is in transit with its structure lowered, the clearance may hit a low-hanging abandoned communication line and pulled be reduced to 4 feet.) In addition, OSHA regulation 29 CFR down a pole. (ORPS Report EM-RL--PHMC-ELEC-2008-0001) 1910.550(A)(15)(IV) states: “A person shall be designated to The truck driver drove the truck into the work area and observe clearance of the equipment and give timely warning for underneath the overhead line without any problem; however, all operations where it is difficult for the operator to maintain while exiting the area, the driver took an alternate route the desired clearance by visual means.” underneath the communication line because other vehicles There have been a number of recent events involving heavy parked in the area prevented him from exiting at the same equipment across the Complex. point he entered. He assumed he had adequate clearance • On May 21, 2008, at the East Tennessee Technology Park and focused his attention on the roadway, not on the (ETTP), an equipment operator relocated an excavator overhead line. to the west side of the K-25 building, then exited the cab Contact with energized overhead lines can be extremely and left the area. A coworker noticed that the boom of the dangerous, as demonstrated by the following industry event. excavator was touching a 480-volt double insulated overhead On September 17, 2008, at the Monticello Nuclear Generating line and notified management. (ORPS Report EM-ORO--BJC- Plant, a worker for an equipment rental company was K25ENVRES-2008-0007) electrocuted when the manlift he was driving came in contact The excavator operator was an experienced Journeyman, with an energized 115-kV power line. The worker was at the who had successfully moved equipment around with the plant to assist electrical crews fixing a circuit breaker problem. assistance of a spotter. However, in this event, the operator Investigators from OSHA are reviewing the circumstances of did not walk down the transit path or use a spotter. The the worker’s death. (NRC Event Report 44498) operator indicated that he was unaware of the overhead line. Office of Health, Safety and Security Page 2 of 10 December 9, 2008 OPERATING EXPERIENCE SUMMARY Issue Number 2008-11, Article 1: Always Check for Overhead Lines When Moving Large Equipment download this article If your vehicle or equipment Remain in the Vehicle makes contact with an overhead Until Electrical Power power line, attempt to break Considerations When Moving Has Been De-Energized contact by lowering any raised Equipment Near Overhead Lines sections or by moving the • Have pre-job planning and hazard analyses restricted vehicle vehicle. If you cannot do either, remain in the cab until electrical travel and activities to include only areas where overhead personnel indicate that it is safe to exit. The vehicle could have lines and other hazards have been addressed? become electrically energized, so do not leave the cab without • Have overhead power lines been identified and their heights permission to do so. verified for the travel routes to be taken and the work activities? The textbox lists questions that should be considered when moving heavy equipment in areas where there are overhead lines. • Will any operation of a vehicle place it, its mechanical equipment, or its load within 10 feet of overhead lines, utility These events underscore the importance of exercising extreme poles, or supporting guy wires? caution when working from or moving equipment near overhead • Are all guy wires, utility poles, communication lines, and power lines. DOE facility managers should ensure that facility overhead power lines clearly visible to drivers and spotters? and subcontractor equipment operators are aware of any • Are trained and dedicated spotters provided for all travel overhead electrical hazards. Contact with overhead power lines routes and for all work activities? (If not, why not?) presents a significant personnel safety hazard, as well as the • Is the number of spotters assigned adequate to detect all potential for interruption of electrical power to facility operations hazards, and can they quickly and clearly communicate and safety systems. Work planners and vehicle operators must hazards to the vehicle drivers or equipment operators? know about and maintain minimum safe working clearances • Have steps been taken to ensure continuous communications near power lines. between spotters and vehicle drivers or operators (e.g., use of radios)? KEYWORDS: Overhead, power line, communication line, excavator, crane, bucket truck, manlift, energized, power pole, electrocution, spotter ISM CORE FUNCTIONS: Analyze the Hazards, Develop and Implement Hazard Controls, Perform Work within Controls Office of Health, Safety and Security Page 3 of 10 December 9, 2008 OPERATING EXPERIENCE SUMMARY Issue Number 2008-11, Article 2: Propane-Fueled Forklift Trucks—A Potential Carbon Monoxide Hazard download this article Ocean Gold was fined $10,050 and was cited for six serious Propane-Fueled Forklift Trucks— violations relating to training forklift operators, educating A Potential Carbon Monoxide Hazard drivers on carbon monoxide hazards, not controlling carbon monoxide hazards in an enclosed area, and hazardous noise levels for operators. 2 An event with a potentially similar result recently occurred at The Washington State Department of Labor and Industry is Argonne National Laboratory. On October 21, 2008, firefighters investigating an apparent forklift-related carbon monoxide responding to a pre-alarm from a smoke-detection system poisoning that occurred on September 23, 2008, at Ocean Gold smelled engine exhaust when they entered a building. They Seafoods in Westport, Oregon. Twenty-eight workers at the found personnel using a propane-fueled forklift truck to perform company’s cold storage facility were hospitalized after local a lift operation, and left the building to obtain a portable meter fire, police, and ambulance service personnel responded to to measure air quality. When the firefighters re-entered the an emergency call from Ocean Gold and found more than 20 building, the meter alarmed and showed a reading of 80 parts workers outside the plant vomiting and experiencing headaches. per million (ppm) of carbon monoxide. They ordered workers Of the 28 workers initially treated at a local hospital, 11 to shut off the forklift truck and evacuated seven people from were transferred to a medical center in Seattle for additional the building, all of whom were evaluated by medical personnel. treatment. (http://www.lni.wa.gov/news/2008/pr080924a.asp) None of the workers showed symptoms of carbon monoxide Ocean Gold Seafoods poisoning. (ORPS Report SC--ASO-ANLE-ANLEFMS-2008-0011) had a previous incident Initial reports indicated that the forklift had been operating involving carbon monoxide between an hour and an hour and a half inside the building in 2007, when a worker with one of the three exterior doors closed.