OSHA Inspection: KWIKSET CORPORATION

Issued

Jan 11, 1991

Abate by

Feb 14, 1991

Penalty

Initial $500 · Current $500

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The
employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were
free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death
or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to:
a) Die casting department, employees are exposed to serious burn hazard
resulting from a violent reaction caused by cooling water being
introduced into the pot of molten zinc at die-cast machine #3.
(National Die Casting Machinery, Inc. 50-ton, model number H502X,
s/n 2964 IN 3004). The consequence was molten zinc being sprayed
approximately 30 to 50 feet in several directions.
One feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is
to give each employee/operator intensified training on recognizing and
avoiding conditions that allow the process to malfunction (i.e., making
certain sprues are clear and dies are clean) and allowing cooling water
to enter the molten zinc pot. This condition occureed on or about
November 12, 1990.