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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2200 E BRUNDAGE LN 3-2015 (9)REPORT DATE: 03/03/2015 Administrative Office 2101 H Street LOCATION OF INCIDENT: 2200 E. Brundage Lane Bakersfield, Ca. 93301 Details: On 03/02/2015 while conducting a fuel monitor certification at Wholesale Fuels located at 2200 E. Brundage lane, I noticed fuel floating on top of the stag water from the recent rains. I asked Bryan with UST Confidence if he knew if they had a recent spill and I was informed by Bryan that I needed to talk to the workers inside of call JACO Oil because they were instructed to not talk to us about anything other than answering questions about the current certification process. I spoke to one of the office ladies who informed me that I needed to speak to a yard worker and I made contact with Abraham who works in the warehouse. When asked about the spill he got extremely nervous and told me that he did not want to talk about it and that I should talk to the manager Marshall Bradley and ask him about the spill that happened during the construction he would have all the info. Mr. Bradley was not on location at the time so I called Ross Sessions who had pulled a permit with the Bakersfield Fire Department to install ball valves on the lines. Ross informed me that they had an accident and one of the lines was opened up under pressure which caused the sump to fill up with fuel but it was contained only to the sump according to Ross. After speaking to Ross I called Matt Chaney with Jaco Oil and asked if he knew about the spill, he informed me that he had heard about it but was not on location and did not come to location when it happened, and that he was right down the street and would come to Wholesale fuels so we could talk. I called Nabil Alhussieni who is in charge of Health and Safety for the site and asked what he knew about the spill. Mr. Alhussieni informed me that he was out of town when the spill happened but he had learned of the spill from Mr. Bradley and that Mr. Bradley did the report. Mr. Alhussieni also said that from what he had heard it was a spill that had covered the concrete tank pad and had also got into the dirt, I asked Mr. Alhussieni if he knew roughly how many gallons were spilled and he said he thought 250Gal, and on top of the spill one of Sessions employees was injured and had to be taken to a local hospital for observation. Around 1100AM Mr. Bradley returned to the site and was able to provide me with his report which was done after the incident occurred, on the report it is noted that only 25 gallons escaped the containment and made its way on to the tank pad and into the dirt. When I asked Mr. Bradley how do you know it was only 25 gallons and not more he informed me that he had been doing this for 4 years and that him and other workers would take 5 gallon buckets of water and pour them out and take pictures of them showing roughly how large of a spill 5 gal, 10 gal, 15 gal and 20 gal would make when poured on concrete. When I asked Matt and Mr. Bradley why notification was never made I was informed by Matt that per their SPCC plan they do not have to report unless the spill is larger than 42 gallons. A 55 gallon drum is 42 gallons and that is roughly the size of the containment inside of the STP Sump. During the course of the fuel monitor certification it was also found that one of the risers was leaking fuel directly on to the top of the tank pad which has no containment structure, this resulted in a Red Tag of Tank #4. Shane Gardner Fire Prevention/ Environmental Officer Bakersfield FIRE Department Office: 661.326.3650 sgardner @bakersfieldfire.us REPORT DATE: 03/03/2015 Administrative Office 2101 H Street LOCATION OF INCIDENT: 2200 E. Brundage Lane Bakersfield, Ca. 93301 Details: On 03/02/2015 while conducting a fuel monitor certification at Wholesale Fuels located at 2200 E. Brundage lane, I noticed fuel floating on top of the stag water from the recent rains. I asked Bryan with UST Confidence if he knew if they had a recent spill and I was informed by Bryan that I needed to talk to the workers inside of call JACO Oil because they were instructed to not talk to us about anything other than answering questions about the current certification process. I spoke to one of the office ladies who informed me that I needed to speak to a yard worker and I made contact with Abraham who works in the warehouse. When asked about the spill he got extremely nervous and told me that he did not want to talk about it and that I should talk to the manager Marshall Bradley and ask him about the spill that happened during the construction he would have all the info. Mr. Bradley was not on location at the time so I called Ross Sessions who had pulled a permit with the Bakersfield Fire Department to install ball valves on the lines. Ross informed me that they had an accident and one of the lines was opened up under pressure which caused the sump to fill up with fuel but it was contained only to the sump according to Ross. After speaking to Ross I called Matt Chaney with Jaco Oil and asked if he knew about the spill, he informed me that he had heard about it but was not on location and did not come to location when it happened, and that he was right down the street and would come to Wholesale fuels so we could talk. I called Nabil Alhussieni who is in charge of Health and Safety for the site and asked what he knew about the spill. Mr. Alhussieni informed me that he was out of town when the spill happened but he had learned of the spill from Mr. Bradley and that Mr. Bradley did the report. Mr. Alhussieni also said that from what he had heard it was a spill that had covered the concrete tank pad and had also got into the dirt, I asked Mr. Alhussieni if he knew roughly how many gallons were spilled and he said he thought 250Gal, and on top of the spill one of Sessions employees was injured and had to be taken to a local hospital for observation. Around 1100AM Mr. Bradley returned to the site and was able to provide me with his report which was done after the incident occurred, on the report it is noted that only 25 gallons escaped the containment and made its way on to the tank pad and into the dirt. When I asked Mr. Bradley how do you know it was only 25 gallons and not more he informed me that he had been doing this for 4 years and that him and other workers would take 5 gallon buckets of water and pour them out and take pictures of them showing roughly how large of a spill 5 gal, 10 gal, 15 gal and 20 gal would make when poured on concrete. When I asked Matt and Mr. Bradley why notification was never made I was informed by Matt that per their SPCC plan they do not have to report unless the spill is larger than 42 gallons. A 55 gallon drum is 42 gallons and that is roughly the size of the containment inside of the STP Sump. During the course of the fuel monitor certification it was also found that one of the risers was leaking fuel directly on to the top of the tank pad which has no containment structure, this resulted in a Red Tag of Tank #4. Shane Gardner Fire Prevention/ Environmental Officer Bakersfield FIRE Department Office: 661.326.3650 sgardner @bakersfieldfire.us Date of Observation: Observation Report 12/30/2014 Approx. 10:15 am Who or What Observed: Sessions Construction Activity Observed: Unintentional Product Release Observation: At the conclusion of my yard walk, I was in the area of the eyewash station near the loading rack and heard a commotion. I turned toward the crew from Sessions Construction that were working in the turbine sump for tank 5 and saw Alex Barrera climbing out of the hole and dyed diesel shooting up our of the hole. Alex was covered in diesel and had his hands on his face trying to clear the diesel from his eyes and nose. He did not have any type of PPE on his head to help out. He was aimlessly wandering when 1 got a hold of him and guided him to the eyewash station. I gave him the first aid eye flushing instructions found in the Diesel SDS and he started the 20 minute procedure. then ran to the ESO switch on the side of the building and depressed it. It didn't affect the fountain of diesel that was landing right back in the hole that it came out of. I then double checked on Alex and encouraged him to continue the cold and painful process. The ambient temperature was below 50 degrees and the water coming out of the eyewash station was painfully cold. I made my way into the office and gathered up Jeff Schultz the GM, Nabil Alhussieni the Transportation Director, and Jon Townsend the Sales Manager. We hurried back outside and 1 gave the crew direction for containment and clean -up. I then reached out to Ross Session via his cell and got his v -mail. I then called Julianna Session and reported the incident. Ross then called me back and told me that Adam McClanahan was on his way to take Alex to the emergency room. (I do not know why we were not asked to provide this transportation if Alex's flushing was done and Adam had not arrived.) During the eye flushing period, I helped Alex shed his coveralls that were soaked through in diesel. At the end of about 20 minutes of flushing I led Alex to the men's restroom and had him strip off the rest of the soaked clothes and wash himself with soapy water. He did so and then put on a pair of coveralls that 1 had in my office. Adam arrived shortly after the cleaning and changing of clothes and took Alex to KMC emergency. The crew continued to begin the clean -up when Ross called and asked if he could be allowed to clean up his own mess. Having contained the product that was outside the sump (about 25 gallons) we agreed and the crew dispensed its work. Another member of the crew Willivaldo Perez, was partially covered in diesel so I instructed him to change into another pair of coveralls that Wholesale had. Upon investigation, I learned that Alex was loosening a flange in the sump and was under the impression that Willivaldo had bled off the line. Alex loosened the bolts in the incorrect order and discovered that the line still was under pressure. (The proper sequence of loosening flange bolts is to loosen the one farthest from you first in the event of line pressure.) There seems to have been a communication breakdown and a lack of supervision. The lack of PPE and the use of correct safety procedures was lacking as well. I was able to confirm from Ross, that all of his employees had been taught and are involved in regular safety tail gate meetings. He was unsure of why the deviation occurred. The following is an email chain that occurred between Ross and myself. This document supports the previously mentioned items and add further clarification to the incident; Marshall, I will attempt to answer your questions in order. Alex's diagnosis, as stated on the report from The hospital: 1) bilateral corneal abrasion 2) chemical conjunctivitis 3) hydrocarbon exposure Your observation regarding loosening the bolts is correct; that should have been the first bolt to be removed. We very seldom use face shields, although safety glasses should have been worn. We don't know why they were not; they have them on the truck. Alex was taken to Kern Medical Center. Willivaldo Perez said he released the pressure when he had not. That is where the communication breakdown was. I hope this answers your questions. Please let me know if you need anything else. Juliana Sessions Contractor SESSIONS 9521 W. FRITZ LN. BAKERSFIELD, CA 93307 661-833-9501 FAx: 661-396-0569 III A MESSAGE DATED 1/5/2015 1 :48:04 P.M. PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, MARSHALLB @)WHOLESALEFUELS.COM WRITES: Ross, the incident report states that Alex was injured. Please state the specific injury. To my knowledge he got diesel up his nose and in his eyes. 1 do not know of any injury. Was the correct procedure being used to unbolt the flange? The report states that he was "removing the furthest and last bolt away from his (Alex) body." Should that bolt have been the first one in case there was line pressure? The pressure would have released away from him instead of into him it seems. What is the policy for safety glasses and face shields while opening up lines? Are they to be worn during an opening process and then removed after? They were not being worn at all during this incident. A face shield would have stopped the diesel from going up Alex's nose. I am not sure if it would have eliminated the product from getting in his eyes. I believe it would have as a direct result of being sprayed. The report states that Alex was taken to the Hospital. Which one did he go to or was it a clinic? If so which one? The report does not state what the root cause of the incident was. Where did the communication breakdown amongst the workers and who was supposed to make sure the line had no pressure? What is the process that failed which resulted in this incident? I am gathering the necessary information to be able to write my report of the incident. Please respond asap. Thanks, Marshall Bradley Jaco Oil Co. /Wholesale Fuels, Inc. Safety Coordinator The following is a copy of the incident report submitted to me from Sessions Construction by Adam. 1Nc��ti-� �T L-oc VJ Vj ve=> 02.0 7e� U Mier � ��� `����.... tea, ��.,� �..�� Vto At� C6 AS M4 &&, 6e! 70 cA ,a A-6* lap Corrective Action: Ross assured me this would be gone over thoroughly in the next meeting. The Operational Management team at WFI has concluded that all teammates will police all subcontractors performing any kind of service on WFI property and insure that the proper PPE is being used. They, with their limited construction experience will also watch out for any processes occurring that are done un an unsafe manner. Coaching Given: Sessions was asked to review their safety procedures and the use of PPE. Summary: This was an unfortunate event for both WFI and Sessions Construction. Both parties are lucky that nothing outrageous occurred as a result of the incident. There was a minimal release above ground and the product in the sump was pumped back into the tank. It is a close call for Alex and he is lucky that no permanent eye damage occurred. Sessions did have a crew clean up the spill which was comprised of Adam McClanahan, Joe Hammond, and Mark Wooten. Report Prepared By: Marshall Bradley Date: Tuesday, March 03, 2015 :;... "'° s ^� 4 , �' C• � ��`� YEN �" :� yy�- TT 4t� OR OW 0 w. EZ t t x 3 s '� # m s tx� a u i�O - �� kW i Al `x,9 • i mac.; �- a uw I ' F Yu `^rx n a - � "i• Fir% �+"i� �: yam" x„ �i s c+` � tY �. �� T� .. µ b ��^�y � r, y t Y �,, r