OSHA Inspection: ALABAMA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.

Issued

Mar 30, 1994

Abate by

May 2, 1994

Penalty

Initial $4,500 · Current $4,500

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 being struck by flying coal
debris, steel parts and/or falls from elevation.
In that, on or about 1/10/94, four (4) employees were engaged in a
process of unchoking/unjamming the gate valve on a coal chute
feeding the coal pulverizer. Employees routinely use a host of
manual methods to unchoke/unjam the gate valve.  When these methods
fail to unchoke/unjam the gate valve, compressed air is activated
via a pushbutton type switch to energize an "air cannon" which
introduces compressed air a approximately 100 psi into the steel
coal chute to unchoke/unjam the gate valve and employees did not
implement and management did not require a lockout/tagout procedure
during this unchoking/unjamming procedure.  An employee was fatally
injured when this "air cannon" was activated while he was still
positioned on a stepladder at the coal chute end plate or opening.
Among others, several feasible and acceptable methods to
correct/abate this hazard are as follows:
1.  An initial survey was not made to identify all energy sources
and related exposures to determine if machines, or equipment and
systems can be isolated.  Such as but not limited to pneumatic
energy sources located at the coal feed chutes.  Reference
paragraph 4.1, American National Standard Institute, Z244.11982.
2.  All authorized individuals did not receive training in
recognition of the applicable hazardous energy sources and in
adequate methods and means for their isolation.  Such as but not
limited to pneumatic energy sources.  Reference paragraph 3.3.3,
American National Institute, Z244.11982.
3.  The employer had not certified that the periodic inspection of
the energy control procedures had been performed.  Reference
paragraph 3.2.2, American National Standard Institute, Z244.11982.