OSHA Inspection: EXCEL CORPORATION

Issued

Jan 12, 1996

Abate by

Jan 16, 1996

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $3,500 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:
Explosion, fire and smoke resulting from the ignition of natural gas
and/or bone meal dust in
the bone room on or about July 15, 1995.  Feasible and acceptable methods
to correct this
hazard include, but are not limited to, the following:
1.Perform regularly scheduled preventive maintenance on equipment to
prevent
malfunctions.  Disassemble, inspect and clean all valves on a regular
schedule. Clean and
replace worn or oxidized parts. Check regulators internally for wear.
2.Document all problems identified by operators or maintenance. Record
repairs in a log.
3.Maintain adequate thicknesses of refractory material as recommended by
the
manufacturer.  Check before start-up.
4.Follow manufacturers instructions when changing out components of
valves, regulators,
etc.
5.Train operators, maintenance and supervisory personnel in the correct
operation and
maintenance procedures and to be able to identify hazardous conditions.
List as many
potential hazards as possible before training.
6.Eliminate Quick-fixes and un-documented repairs by inadequately trained
personnel.
7.Inspect all duct-work and associated dampers for damage and proper
working conditions
and repair as soon as possible.s