OSHA Inspection: SPECTRULITE CONSORTIUM, INC.

Issued

May 25, 1995

Abate by

Oct 2, 1995

Penalty

Initial $63,000 · Current $30,000 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 employees in that
employees were exposed to:
...the hazard of rapidly expanding steam vapor/molten metal explosion
On or about November 29, 1994, and for at least the five (5) year period
prior to that date, in the
Magnesium Melt Room the employer did not make sure that only dry equipment
was available for use
when working with molten magnesium.  Equipment was returned from repair
and cleaning without the
proper preparation to make sure that it was dry prior to being placed in
the magnesium melting pots.
AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT METHOD TO
CORRECT THIS HAZARD IS .....
Provide the Magnesium Melt Crew and others in the area when
equipment,scrap, and other additives
are being introduced into the molten metal with remote handling equipment
so that when it is necessary
to introduce such materials into the molten metal this can be accomplished
from a safe distance behind
protective barriers.
Provide the Magnesium Caster, whose job it is to stand at the casting mold
and regulate the continuous
casting of the magnesium, controls located behind a protective barrier.
The protective barrier must
have a reinforced glass window so that the Caster can observe the
operation clearly as he  controls the
pour.
Written procedures to make sure the equipment is dry and clean have not
been consistently effective
enough in the past to protect the employees life and safety as evidenced
by numerous life-threatening
spills, incidents, and explosions; however these procedures shall remain
fully in effect since the
potential explosions such as occurred on 11-29-95 are powerful enough to
cause great destruction and
injure employees out of the immediate area not protected by the barriers
described
above.
ABATEMENT NORMALLY WILL BE MULTISTEP AS FOLLOWS:
STEP 1:   EFFECTIVE INTERIM PROTECTIVE MEASURES SHALL BE PROVIDED AND USED
BY EXPOSED EMPLOYEES UNTIL FEASIBLE ENGINEERING  CONTROLS CAN BE
IMPLEMENTED. A WRITTEN PLAN DESCRIBING THE INTERIM PROTECTIVE MEASURES
SHALL BE PREPARED IN DETAIL AND SUBMITTED TO THIS OFFICE WITHIN ONE WEEK
OF RECEIPT OF THIS CITATION.
STEP 2:   SUBMIT TO THE AREA DIRECTOR A WRITTEN, DETAILED PLAN OF
ABATEMENT OUTLINING A SCHEDULE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ENGINEERING
MEASURES TO CONTROL EMPLOYEE EXPOSURE TO HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS AS
REFERENCED IN THIS CITATION.  THIS PLAN SHALL INCLUDE, AT A MINIMUM,
TARGET DATES FOR THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS WHICH MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH
THE ABATEMENT DATES REQUIRED BY THIS CITATION:
(1)EVALUATION OF ENGINEERING CONTROL OPTIONS;(2)SELECTION OF OPTIMUM
CONTROL METHODS AND COMPLETION OF DESIGN;
(3)PROCUREMENT, INSTALLATION AND OPERATION OF SELECTED CONTROL
MEASURES; AND
(4)TESTING AND ACCEPTANCE OR MODIFICATION/REDESIGN OF CONTROLS
NOTE:ALL PROPOSED CONTROL MEASURES SHALL BE APPROVED FOR EACH
PARTICULAR USE BY A COMPETENT SAFETY PROFESSIONAL OR OTHER
TECHNICALLY QUALIFIED PERSON.  Thirty-(30) DAY PROGRESS REPORTS
ARE REQUIRED DURING THE ABATEMENT PERIOD.
STEP 3:   ABATEMENT SHALL HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
FEASIBLE ENGINEERING AND/OR ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS UPON VERIFICATION OF
THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN ACHIEVING COMPLIANCE.
STEP 1   WEEK
STEP 2   60 DAYS
STEP 3   120 DAYS

Issued

May 25, 1995

Abate by

May 31, 1995

Penalty

Initial $63,000 · Current $50,000 Reduced

Issued

May 25, 1995

Abate by

May 30, 1995