OSHA Inspection: POLYCARBON INDUSTRIES, INC.

Issued

Feb 17, 1998

Abate by

Mar 7, 1998

Penalty

Initial $1,500 · Current $750 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not
furnish employmnent 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:
an explosion hazard.  The employer did not install an audible alarm system
or over temperature
protection on the Regal Oil Temperature Controller.  An employee suffered
first, second, and
third degree burns when the heat control relay failed in the on position,
causing a rapid rise in
the temperature of the dryer and a thermal decomposition and explosion of
the product being
dried, 1-Hydroxy-7-azabenzotriazole (HOAt).  An audible alarm system would
have alerted
employees to the rise in temperature.  Temperature over protection would
have automatically
shut off the temperature controller well before thermal decomposition of
the product occurred.
These systems were readily available to the employer.