AP: Safety Board Rejects Slim Jim Plant Cues

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Federal safety officials have rejected a series of urgent recommendations that investigators offered after an explosion at a Slim Jim factory in North Carolina killed three people.

Documents obtained by The Associated Press show that staff members of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board wanted the agency to immediately distribute a safety bulletin and recommendations, saying the June blast exposed weaknesses in nationwide standards. The staff proposed guidelines that would require more controls on how workers handle gas-line purges.

Two of the four board members voted down the idea last month, saying code writers should be the ones to decide on new guidelines, not the safety board.

The decision frustrated safety advocates who have been following the plant explosion. Tom O'Connor, executive director of the advocacy group National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, said he believes the four board members, all appointed during the administration of President George W. Bush, opposed the recommendations because of an ideological opposition to over-regulation.

"It's hard for me to understand that it's even controversial." O'Connor said. "It seems like this ought to be a no-brainer."

O'Connor said his group hasn't spent much time pushing for replacements on the White House-appointed board, but he said the latest vote indicates to him that advocates need to get the issue before President Barack Obama.

Investigators believe contractors installing a water heater vented natural gas inside the building, leading to the blast. The contractor, Energy Systems Analysts, reported that it was common practice, and investigators said the room was ventilated by an exhaust fan.

Safety board staff identified similar explosions that involved the purging of gas lines, including a May 2008 incident during the construction of a San Diego hotel that injured 14, an August 2007 explosion at a hotel in Cheyenne, Wyo., that injured two, and an explosion at a Porterville, Calif., school that burned two plumbers in November 2005. They also noted another North Carolina incident -- a 1997 explosion at a fitness center in Cary that injured six.

Current safety codes, developed by a committee convened by the National Fire Protection Association and the American Gas Association, says gas purges "shall not be discharged into confined spaces or areas where there are sources of ignition unless precautions are taken."

Investigators determined that the codes needed more specifics, according to the report from August. They recommended new guidelines require that, wherever practical, gases be purged to a safe location outdoors. If that's not possible, they suggested evacuating nonessential personnel, establishing adequate ventilation and controlling ignition sources. Staff also said workers should use gas detectors to monitor conditions.

The explosion that rocked ConAgra Foods Inc.'s plant for Slim Jims south of Raleigh killed three, critically injured four and sent dozens of others to the hospital. More than 200 people were working in the building when the explosion happened and part of the facility's roof collapsed.

An attorney for Energy Systems Analysts did not return a call seeking comment but wrote to the chemical safety board that the recommendations contained unspecified inaccuracies.

The United Food and Commercial Workers, which represents several hundred workers at the site in Garner, blasted the decision.

"It's outrageous that anybody would vote against protecting the safety of workers, especially when the recommendations were as simple as, 'You shouldn't have people in the room when there's natural gas being pumped into it,'" said Corey Owens, spokesman for the UFCW. "These commissioners that voted against it need to seriously reconsider their commitment to mission of the chemical safety board."

The safety board investigates industrial chemical accidents and makes safety recommendations to companies, industry groups and regulatory agencies. Staff members said the agency was already working with code writers on the state, national and international level and that the groups recognized the need to update their guidelines.

Gary Visscher and William Wright, two of the four board members, wrote in opposition to the recommendations that they both saw room to improve the agency's guidance but that the urgent recommendations were too strong. They wrote that experts on the committees that write codes would be better suited to establish the guidance.

"These organizations and committees have a lot more experience and expertise, both with gas installations and with the codes themselves, than do we," Visscher wrote.

John S. Bresland, the board's chairman who voted to endorse the recommendations, said in a statement that the board is considering a revised safety bulletin this week and continues to review and revise the language of possible safety recommendations.

"The CSB is committed to measures to ensure that fuel gas purging operations are conducted in the safest possible manner," Bresland said.

The full investigation into the incident isn't expected to finish until next year.

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Typical Republicans 9/15/2009 12:06:00 PM Only interested in the unborn. After that: screw 'em - especially if they work for a living.
Of course! 9/15/2009 12:46:00 PM That's right! After they're born, they become taxpayers and the Dems have their money to spend! Fair is fair! Any wonder I am INDEPENDANT!?!
get a grip 9/15/2009 1:11:00 PM Not everything is ideological. Nor is a new regulation a cure for every problem. One has to pity the bitter left who require a culprit for everything that happens they don't like.
Typical Democrats 9/15/2009 1:41:00 PM Only interested in the propaganda potential of anything. Engaging in ad-hominum attacks and partisan smears, typical leftists. Why make this about republican vs demoncrates ? Why spew your hate smears for no other reason than to damage people who disagree with you politically ? This was an AP article which guarantees that it would attempt to smear non-leftists regardless of the facts which a leftist then uses, as shown in the above comment, to spread hate against non-leftists. I have no faith that this articles intimation that politics are involved is the truth as the journaliars have proven that they are partisan and biased.
AP and news in general 9/15/2009 2:32:00 PM According to the lastest PEW report on such matters, only 33% of folks out there believe the news is correct, without biasis and just reports the "facts". Sad commetary on these times.
Republican/Democrat? 9/15/2009 3:46:00 PM Where does the article refer to republican or democrat? It refers to only "ideological opposition" to regulation. The staff wanted to distribute a safety bulletin and recommendations. I don't see how a non-binding recommendation would amount to regulation. It appears we have two members who are afraid to do their jobs which is to improve the safety of the workplace, and as such should be replaced.
Politics?????? 9/15/2009 7:40:00 PM Lets clear our ears here and focus on the fundemental concern generated by this accident. People are dead, and with or without a rule, regulation, law, whatever you want to call it, it is inconsequential to the fact that common sense must prevail. Just as a building should not be inhabited while a crane is operating overhead, people should not be in an environment where a flammable, asphixiating gas is being introduced to the immediate environment. This is where common sense overrules all laws or regs. The plant manager, safety officer, contractor mangement should have considered all of the POTENTIAL consequences of this method of purging the gas. Why was nitrogen not used to purge the air prior to introducing gas? why wasn't an inexpensive flex hose used to purge the low pressure gas flow to an area outside the building? was an audit of all potential ignition points reviewed and accounted for? These are basic responsibilities of any project that is properly managed. No amount of legislation will replace good common sense and knowledge of what one is attempting to do. Laws will not obligate anyone to do anything. I don't know where you're all from, but in NJ there is a hands free cell phone law to prevent accidents. I see people including the police talking and texting on phones everyday. Legislation that is not implemented, overseen, or enforced will never solve stupidity, and lets face it, both politaical parties have their fair share of stupidity.
Safety Board? 9/15/2009 9:58:00 PM Safety Board or Preservation Board. Seems like if you give any subordinate good press you lose your status. Don't do it in the name of safety, do it to preserve our status and preserve the chain of command. Now Son, let Daddy drive the car, I see the Fire Engine coming but I'm not ready to pull over yet.
RE: Typical Democrats 9/16/2009 7:20:00 AM You make me laugh !!! You act as if Republicans don't do the exact same thing. The right is just as guilty as the left when it comes to twisting information to suit your own political agenda. The recommendation seems reasonable to me. Hopefully the "code writers" are busy writing up an official recommendation (change) so this doesn't happen again. Only time will tell.
My initial comment is . . . 9/16/2009 8:03:00 AM . . . no piece of paper ever literally saved my life; it has been me looking at a situation, assessing it thoroughly and taking precautions that I felt were adequate to preserve my safety. Compliance to policy is mandatory but not the end all to safety matters; it's a starting point. When we quit relying solely on others to make rules that protect us and take matters of our personal safety upon ourselves, then we establish control of our personal well being.
Something not being said... 9/16/2009 8:43:00 AM There has to be more to this story. They were purging a gas line to a hot water heater in a ventilated room. If done to normal plumbing practices, the amount of gas let into the room should have been mininal. Someone had to screw up and let the gas line run for a extended period of time. Again, the room was ventilated, so it took quite a bit of gas to get to the level to explode.
Just vent gas lines to the outside. Common sense. 9/16/2009 8:45:00 AM Just vent gas lines to the outside. We only need laws for stupid people, like congress who spend more than they take in and wonder why the debt is increasing. Common sense.
Re: re: Typical democrats 9/16/2009 12:20:00 PM There was no reference that the republicans dont engage in twisting info to suit agendas, the difference is that the left proclaims themselves morally and ethically superiour. They attacked the right relentlessly in the past, and today, see above. The truth is that the radical left, who now control the media and the democratic party, are propagandists and liars. Shame on them for being no better than those they claim to oppose.
How about focusing on safety first? 10/5/2009 5:42:00 PM "staff members of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board wanted the agency to immediately distribute a safety bulletin and recommendations, saying the June blast exposed weaknesses in nationwide standards. The staff proposed guidelines that would require more controls on how workers handle gas-line purges" If this had been in the form of a bulletin pointing out the need for greater precautions when performing this task, and not in the form of a condemnation of existing code with intent to apply more controls before the accident investigation was even finished, I bet it would have been released. As pointed out above there are several factors here that imply someone screwed up. All the controls in the world can't stop that, but highlighting where mistakes have been made and urging greater caution would seem to be more readily accepted. BTW, I've yet to see any "democratic" party in this country (which, BTW, is a Republic).

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