Here’s a reminder about why it pays to document safety procedures.
OSHA has fined International Paper Co.’s Vicksburg, MS, plant $77,000. The agency investigated the plant following a May explosion that killed one employee and injured 22 others.
International Paper received one willful and one serious violation.
The willful violation is for failing to start a recovery boiler with adequate steam and not developing safe procedures to start the boiler. (OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.)
The serious violation is for failing to have written procedures to determine that an adequate amount of odorant was being added to the natural gas supply line coming into the power plant. (A serious violation is one that could cause death or serious injury and the employer should have known about.)
A recovery boiler at the plant exploded in May during a start-up. Employees were exposed to a fire and explosion.