OSHA Inspection: NORTH STAR BHP STEEL LTD.

Issued

Aug 27, 1997

Abate by

Sep 22, 1997

Penalty

Initial $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:
On or about February 27, 1997 employees were exposed to fire and explosion
hazards while
charging the south furnace with miscellaneous scrap metal, contaminated
with hydrocarbon based
lubricants and water.  Pre-heating or other methods of ensuring scrap
metals were dry was not
employed as the scrap was exposed to the elements (rain and snow) prior to
dumping into the
south furnace, nor were scrap metals sorted or evaluated for the presence
of oil, and other
hydrocarbon based lubricants which could explode when oxidized.
Among other methods, one feasible and useful method to abate these hazards
is to initiate and
implement a pre-burn scrap handling procedure which includes as a minimum
the following
elements:
1)  Design and install a system to distribute waste energy (heated air)
from the furnace
to the scrap holding area for drying purposes or utilize scrap pre-heaters.
2)  Protect scrap materials from exposure to the elements such as but not
limited to, rain
and snow.
3)  Ensure that scrap materials such as automobile engines, compressors,
conveyors, and
other scrap likely to contain lubricants pass through effective
decontamination.  Ensure
that containers are crushed, covers or lids removed.