OSHA Inspection: ORGANIC TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-10-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $7000.00 · Current $2800.00 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:
a.  In that employees working in the vicinity of the  2,000
gallon reactor (N1001) during process operations (such as the
production of R-Glycidol and the treatment of "Raffenate Waste") were
exposed to increased risks of fires, explosions, hot materials, and
toxic materials caused by the release of processed materials from
the reactor or its associated equipment, and due to the employer
not taking adequate measures to prevent the hazardous release of
corrosive, flammable, and/or toxic mateials, in that:
1.  The pressure relieving device for the reactor was a pressure
safety valve one inch in diameter.  There was no documentation
available to describe its design, sizing and relieving capacity.  It
was not documented that it was accurately sized to safely handle
runaway reactions and fire load situations.
2.  Formulation changes were made by Organic Technologies, Inc.
to the "Raffenate Waste" including, but not limited to, replacing
sodium meta bisulphite with formaldehyde in the reduction and
treatment of peroxides.  The company made the changes without
re-evaluating the adequancy of the N1001 reactor vessel and its safety
line and valve to ensure its ability to safely handle runaway
reactions and fire load situations.
3.  The discharge locations and the orientation of the safety
valves and vents of the reactor, and  of its associated equipment
(including the condensor, its saftey valve, and the reactor's vent
line) were not directed to a catch tank, header pipe, flare system,
fire pit, or other safe location.  The chemicals that were processed
were known to be highly reactive, corrosive, flammable, and/or toxic.
4.  Operating practices were inadequate.  The employer did not
provide formal written operating procedures to be used in normal and
abnormal situations.  The employer did not clearly define the
boundaries between normal and abnormal operating situations.  The
employer did not clearly define the steps that were to be taken to
return the operating situation from abnormal back to normal
operation.  The employer did not clearly define the operator's
authority to exercise the steps to return the operation to normal,
nor did the employer clearly define the situations under which
the operators were to declare an emergency, inform management, and
turn over the control responsibility to the plant manager or to
his/her designated emergency manager.
5.  The employer did not establish a formal training program
to instruct the operators in their duties and responsibilities
regarding the reactor operating procedure.  The employer did not test
the operators to ensure their full understanding of their
responsibilities.  Having not given the operators specific operating
instructions and no formal training, the employer did not closely
monitor and control the actions of the operators, using managers who
had been formally educated in chemical engineering and in the
operation of chemical reactors.

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-21 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1200.00 · Current $950.00 Reduced

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-21 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1500.00 · Current $1200.00 Reduced

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-21 00:00:00

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-21 00:00:00

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-21 00:00:00

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-21 00:00:00

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-21 00:00:00

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-21 00:00:00

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-21 00:00:00

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-21 00:00:00

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-21 00:00:00

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-21 00:00:00

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-21 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3000.00 · Current $3000.00

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-21 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3000.00 · Current $3000.00

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-21 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3000.00 · Current $2350.00 Reduced

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-12-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $900.00 · Current $725.00 Reduced

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-21 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1550.00 Reduced

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-28 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1200.00 · Current $950.00 Reduced

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-21 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3000.00 · Current $2350.00 Reduced

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-11-05 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $900.00 · Current $725.00 Reduced

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-10-28 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $900.00 · Current $725.00 Reduced

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-10-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $600.00 · Current $475.00 Reduced

Issued

1991-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-10-25 00:00:00