OSHA Inspection: RAVENSWOOD ALUMINUM CORPORATION

Issued

Dec 12, 1990

Abate by

Mar 15, 1991

Penalty

Initial $10,000 · Current $6,000 Reduced

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 emloyees in that employees were exposed to
excessive heat stress hazards when working in areas of elevated thermal
environment:
The following conditions contributed to the existence of these hazards:
A) Pot Room, in the Reduction Plant - Regular cell operator was
exposed to heat stress at time-weighted average (TWA) levels
of up to 34.93 degrees c Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT),
32.48 degrees c WBGT and 33.56 degrees c WBGT during heat stress
surveys conducted on July 10, 1990. These levels represent
exposures of up to approximately 1.24, 1.10 and 1.30 times the
28.0 degrees c, 25.9 degrees c and 29.47 degrees c respectively
of the permissible heat exposure threshold limit values (TLV)
published by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial
Hygienists.