OSHA Inspection: BLACK DOG PRODUCTIONS, INC

Issued

Jan 26, 1998

Abate by

Feb 20, 1998

Penalty

Initial $5,600 · Current $5,600

General-duty citation text

North Carolina General Statue 95-129(1) of the Occupational Safety
and Health Act of North Carolina:  The employer did not furnish to
each of his employees  condition of 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:
a)explosion hazard: explosive charges were electrically
connected to a battery that was neither isolated nor
exclusively used for the purpose of firing explosive
charges. This battery was in fact a vehicle battery
located in the engine compartment of a vehicle less than
4 feet away from the explosive charge. The vehicle used
was to be filmed in a simulated explosion/fire sequence
of a movie being filmed at a movie set in Wilmington, NC.
This is in contrast to industry wide safety practices,
and the company's own safety program which prohibit the
use of non-isolated batteries.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method
to correct this hazard is to use a remote battery, under
the control of the special effects team, that could be
disconnected from the circuit prior to employees re-
entering the blast zone to perform work.
REF: "Black Dog Injury Illness Prevention Program", Section 8-24,
Paragraph 20. "Power sources for firing pyrotechnic special effects
devices shall be restricted to isolated batteries or individually
isolated, ungrounded generators used for firing purposes only".
REF: "Safety Bulletins Recommended by the Industry Wide Labor-
Management Safety Committee", Guide #16, page 16-2, Paragraph 12.
"Detonation of explosives must be from a separate DC power source".
REF: Screen Actors Guild Safety Bulletins.
REF: "Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers" Safety
Bulletins, #16, page F-35, Paragraph 20, "Power sources for firing
pyrotechnic special effects devices shall be restricted to isolated
batteries or individually isolated, ungrounded generators used for
firing purposes only".es

Issued

Jan 26, 1998

Abate by

Feb 20, 1998

Penalty

Initial $5,600 · Current $5,600

General-duty citation text

North Carolina General Statue 95-129(1) of the Occupational Safety
and Health Act of North Carolina:  The employer did not furnish to
each of his employees  condition of 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:
a)explosion hazard: employees were allowed into the blast
zone to affix a stranded wire cable to a vehicle rigged
with explosives to simulate a crash scene during the
filming of a movie. Explosive charges were energized and
in performing their work, the stranded wire cable
contacted the open electrical circuit triggering an
explosion on Jan 6, 1998. The employer did not take
measures to insure that the electrical circuit was de-
energized prior to allowing employees into the blast
zone.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method
to correct this hazard is to use a remote battery, under
the control of the special effects team, that could be
disconnected from the circuit prior to employees re-
entering the blast zone to perform work.
REF: 1926.909(e) "The blaster shall make sure that all employees
are out of the blast area before firing a blast".

Issued

Jan 26, 1998

Abate by

Feb 20, 1998

Penalty

Initial $5,600 · Current $5,600