OSHA Inspection: MIDWEST RUBBER RECLAIMING

Issued

Apr 10, 1990

Abate by

Jun 8, 1990

Penalty

Initial $800 · Current $560 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 employees in that employees were exposed to:
...the danger of asphyxiation, illness, fire and explosion. The
employer did not provide employees, entering D.D. #1, a confined space
with an entry measuring 17 inches in diameter, an adequate confined
space entry plan to prevent employees from becoming trapped in the
vessel, or to remove an employee who became unconscious or disabled.
One employee was trapped in this vessel for approximately 30 minutes
on 2/12/90.
A feasible and acceptable abatement method, among other, to correct this
hazard, is to implement a confined space entry procedure which includes
but is not limited to the following elements:
1) Selection procedures for respirator which may be used for rescue in
emergencies in accordance with the selection procedures in ANSI
Z88.2-1969.
2) A procedure to determine the minimum safe diameter for each manway
into each vessel to be entered based on the physical dimensions of
each employee entering the vessel. This procedure should be taken
into consideration the difficulty of rescue of an employee who
becomes unconcious or disabled while inside a vessel and the manway
should be sized to make this type of rescue feasible in a timely
manner.
a) Employee Exposure: The employees enter the vessel on occasion for
maintenance purposes. Prior to their entry, production workers enter
to remove material and prepare the vessel. The employees doing this
work are Midwest Rubber Reclaiming employees.
b) Hazard Recognition: The entryway is 17 inches in diameter; too small
to allow entry or exit with any degree of safety for most people
except those of very slender build. Some employees who are selected
to enter find it very difficult to exit quickly. One employee was
trapped for approximately 30 minutes. The employee representative
agress that this employee was trapped for approximately 30 minutes
and further agrees that if any employee became disabled or unconcious
his immediate rescue and removal would be very difficult, would take
considerable time and that he does not have procedures in effect to
do this safely.
c) Serious Hazards: If an employee cannot exit immediately, there is a
danger from fire since this workplace has frequent fires due to the
combustible nature of the settled dust which produces clouds of smoke
which would produce a serious hazard of asphyxiation. Also, an
employee who developed a medical problem such as a heart attack,
could not get immediate medical attention. Finally, if a toxic
atmosphere developed a low oxygen level, immediate exit could not
be assured.
d) Feasible Abatement: Develop plans adequate to immediately remove
employees inside the vessel and train the affected employee(s) or
enlarge the manway to a size that would allow immediate exit for all
employees who might enter.

Issued

Apr 10, 1990

Abate by

Jun 8, 1990

Penalty

Initial $800 · Current $560 Reduced

Issued

Apr 10, 1990

Abate by

Apr 26, 1990

Issued

Apr 10, 1990

Abate by

Apr 26, 1990

Issued

Apr 10, 1990

Abate by

Apr 26, 1990

Issued

Apr 10, 1990

Abate by

Apr 26, 1990

Issued

Apr 10, 1990

Abate by

Apr 26, 1990