The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) issued a January 13th news release stating that the Untied States Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management:
. . . violated procedures for safe handling of chemical materials at its Cliffside Helium Enrichment Unit in Amarillo, a federal chemical producing plant that refines and sells helium products to private entities.
OSHA states it issued the plant 21 notices of unsafe working conditions.
The United States Department of Interior Office of Inspector General is stated to have initiated a June 8, 2021, inspection after it received safety and health allegations from workers at the plant.
The news release identified six willful alleged safety violations which are stated to include failing to train workers to understand the purpose and function of the energy control program. Five egregious willful violations are stated to include failure to perform inspections and tests on process equipment. The serious violations are stated to include proves safety management failures.
The violations for process safety management procedures are stated to carry a private sector penalty of $1,023,987.
The Bureau of Land Management is stated to have 15 business days from receipt of its notices to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or appeal the notices by submitting a summary of the agency’s position on the unresolved issues to OSHA’s regional administrator.
A copy of the news release can be downloaded here.
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