OSHA Inspection: CENTRAL FOUNDRY, DIV. OF G.M. CORP.

Issued

Nov 15, 1988

Abate by

Dec 2, 1988

Penalty

Initial $420 · Current $210 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The
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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:
Employees required to clean the Schneibel ventilation fan blades of
cupola furnace #2 when hot metal was present in the furnace were not
protected from the hazards of exposure to high levels of carbon
monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and from oxygen deficient atmospheres.
During the cleaning procedure, employees could potentially be exposed
to the hazard of asphyxiation due to carbon monoxide buildup inside
the fan housing and bronchioconstriction due to sulfur dioxide
exposure.
Among other methods, a feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct the hazard should include:
1) Installation of a CO alarm in the fan housing to sound an alarm when
CO levels exceed OSHA's permissible exposure limit.
2) Institute and air monitoring procedure for carbon monoxide, sulfur
dioxide and oxygen. When hot metal is present in the furnace, the
fan housing and adjacent work areas shall be tested prior to
cleaning and on a regular basis, as determined by a qualified person,
for at least 19.5% oxygen and/or presence of toxic substances.
Measurements shall be made with instruments calibrated daily,
according to manufacturer's instructions. Instrument operators shall
be trained in the use and care of instruments.
3) During emergency cleaning operations on the fans when the furnace is
in operation, there must be a system installed to ensure that the
vents between the furnace and the fan housing are blocked during the
entire time the fan housing is open and work is being performed.
Disclaimers:
a) The employer is not limited to the abatement method
suggested by OSHA
b) The method explained are general and may not be effective
in all cases.
c) The employer is responsible for selecting and carrying out
an appropriate abatement method.