OSHA Inspection: INFINITY PLASTICS CO.

Issued

Jul 27, 2000

Abate by

Sep 30, 2000

Penalty

Initial $300 · Current $200 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:
Production Area - Employee(s) were potentially exposed to flying plastic
shards, plastic
projectiles (pipe fragments), and decompressing air at 100 psi because
polyvinyl chloride
(PVC) plastic pipes and plastic pipe fittings were being used to transport
compressed air.
The Plastic Pipe Institute's Recommendation B of 1972 and revised
Recommendation B
of 1997 requires PVC piping used for the transport of compressed air to be
buried or
encased in shatter resistant materials. Furthermore, the manufacturers of
PVC plastic
pipes and plastic pipe fittings warn against the use of PVC pipes/fittings
for the
transportation of compressed air. The PVC pipe/fitting manufacturers
convey
these
warnings verbally through sales personnel/distributors, web sites,
catalogs, product
literature, and on cans of solvent cement.  ASME/ANSI B31.8 - 1968/1986
Transmission
and Distribution Piping Systems Standard prohibits the installation of
plastic pipe airline
systems above ground except where the above ground portion of the plastic
service line
is completely enclosed in a conduit or casing of sufficient strength to
provide protection
from external damage and deterioration.
FEASIBLE METHODS TO CORRECT THE HAZARD:
OPTION #1: Encase the PVC pipes and PVC pipe fittings in shatter resistant
materials
e.g. metal pipes, wooden box conduit lined with fiberglass, steel box
conduit etc.
OPTION #2: Remove the PVC pipes and PVC pipe fittings.  Install metal
pipes and
metal pipe fittings that meet ASTM specifications for transporting
compressed air.
OPTION #3: Remove the PVC pipes and PVC pipe fittings.  Install plastic
pipes and
plastic pipe fittings that meet ASTM specifications for transporting
compressed air.
Three companies currently manufacture compressed air plastic pipe systems.
These
systems utilize specialized acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) plastic
or high density
poly ethylene (HDPE) plastic. Manufacturers and suppliers of this type of
piping can be
found on the Internet.
Note:DO NOT confuse the ABS utilized in the specialized compressed air
systems with
ABS-DVW.  ABS-DVW is available at most hardware stores and home centers.
ABS-DVW is not designed to transport compressed air.ressed

Issued

Jul 27, 2000

Abate by

Sep 30, 2000

Penalty

Initial $525 · Current $200 Reduced

Issued

Jul 27, 2000

Abate by

Sep 30, 2000

Issued

Jul 27, 2000

Abate by

Sep 30, 2000