OSHA Inspection: LTV STEEL, INC.

Issued

Feb 19, 1997

Abate by

Mar 24, 1997

Penalty

Initial $5,000 · Current $5,000

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 hazards of steel coils falling from coil cars as they are moved from
the mandril to the
banding area at the exit end of the 60" Electroplate Line.  On or before
10/15/96, employee(s)
were exposed to this hazard in that existing operating procedures did not
restrict employee access
to the coil car pit during the actual transfer of the coil from the
mandril to the banding area via
the coil car, a distance of eleven feet, four inches. Furthermore, a
worker was required to go
into the pit whenever an "oiled" coil was being processed due to the
location of the oil roller
controls.  Finally, the banding work table was situated immediately behind
the coil car end stop,
creating the possibility of a worker being within close proximity to the
car
as it stopped, making
him/her vulnerable to the dangers of a falling coil.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard is
a combination of the following steps:
a.  Develop an electromechanical or mechanical blocking device to hold the
steel coil in position
until released by the operator of the equipment.
b.  Develop specific procedures for the initial transfer of the coil from
the mandrel to the coil
car as it relates to situations where the coil is "hung up" on the
mandrel.  Such procedures must
establish who may enter the coil car pit and the relationship of the
personnel in the pit to the coil
car controls to prevent the likelihood of any movement of the car which
could cause the coil to
fall as it is being removed from the mandrel while personnel are within
close proximity to the
area.  Presently, existing Job Safety Analyses do not cover this
circumstance.
c.  Include in excising procedures on removal and transfer of coils via
coil car the restriction
of having anyone in the coil car pit during the transfer of the coil from
the mandrel to the
banding area. Existing Job Safety Analysis did not include such
restrictions.
d.  Eliminate the need for employees to enter the coil car pit to operate
controls for the oiler
roller by relocation of the controls.
d.  Post notices in the area of the coil car pit restricting access.