OSHA Inspection: NETEX COOPERATIVE OIL MILL

Issued

Jan 14, 1992

Abate by

Mar 3, 1992

Penalty

Initial $1,750

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:
a.  On or about 9/19/91 employees wee exposed to the hazard of
being covered and possibly sufficated by the came-off piles of argicul-
tural products which will not collapse to a natural angle of repose due
to the clinging together of particles as the material is loaded from
the base of the piles onto floor level converors, either by hand or by
mototrized vehicles.  These materials include cotton seed, cotton seed
hulls, cotton seed meal,and possibly soy beans, soy beans meal, and
hulls.
One method of abatement is the provision of a complete around the
driver position of a powered, floor level material moving vehicle with
mesh, small enough to prevents entry of the material being worked, with
assurance of air space and/or an air supply, either line of bottle,
sufficient to sustain the operator for the duration of the rescue
period if trapped, and an observation, communication, or alarm system
to notify outside  personnel that the operator and vehicle are trapped.
The vehicle must not cause ignition of the products being worked, and a
rescue vehicle with similar protection must be available to safely,
effectuate a resuce by removal of adequate material to free the trapped
employee.
An alternative to the above method is the use of an elevating, rotat-
ing, articulating or extensible boom type work platform or boom arm to
collapse a pile to its angle of repose safely without having an employ-
ee exposed to being inundated.  This device must also not present a
product ignition hazard.  The boom, arm may be an attachment for the
front end loader if desired.