OSHA Inspection: EMECO INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED

Issued

Feb 27, 2003

Abate by

Nov 30, 2003

Penalty

Initial $1,050 · Current $575 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 severe burn injuries from the
potential dust explosion hazard that could have resulted from, or been
exacerbated by the lack of any dust
collection system, the location of the dust collectors in Class II
Division I area, the use of non-conductive and
corrugated ductwork, the use of improperly designed dust collectors, the
use of unapproved clean-up tools and
the use of overhead water sprinkler system:
(a)Sanding Area - Employees sanded aluminum chairs and chair components
using hand-held
pneumatic powered sanders at five work stations, hand-held pneumatic
powered sand-o-flexes
at four work stations, hand-held pneumatic powered buzzing and burring
tools at two work
stations, and a sanding belt mounted on a pedestal Bradford Admiral buffer
polisher. None of
the sanding devices, which produced fine particles of aluminum, were
attached to a dust
collection system, on or about January 9, 2003.
(b)Buffing and Polishing Room - The Torit dry-type dust collector, model
219,
serial number
24606, was not located outside the building nor were barriers located
between the dust
collector and personnel. The ductwork was not constructed of a conductive
material with a
smooth interior but rather were corrugated and nonconductive. Duct
velocities ranged from
157 to 295 feet per minute. The dust collector and ductwork were not
bonded or grounded.
The ductwork had numerous bends and some blanked off branches which
created dead spaces
for the accumulation of explosive aluminum dust. The dust collector system
did not have filter
medium that would dissipate static electrical charge nor was the collector
designed with
deflagration vents. The fan was not located on the clean air side of the
collector to prevent the
aluminum dust particles from making contact with the high speed moving
parts. The dust
collector and ductwork were not cleaned on a regular basis. Waste material
from the dust
collector was not mixed with an inert material in a five (5) to one (1)
ratio and placed in a
metal container, on or about January 9, 2003.
(c)Buffing and Polishing Room - Employees used brooms with synthetic
bristles and steel shovels
to clean up aluminum dust on the floor. Employees also used compressed air
to blown down
surfaces, on or about January 9, 2003.
(d)Sanding Area - Employees used brooms with synthetic bristles and steel
shovels to clean up
aluminum dust on the floor, on or about January 9, 2003.
(e)Buffing and Polishing Room - The room was protected by an automatic
sprinkler system.
However, in the event of a fire, the overhead sprinklers releasing water
may generate
hydrogen gas when mixed with aluminum dust and create a potential gas
explosion, on or
about January 9, 2003.
(f)Sanding Area - The area was protected by an automatic sprinkler system.
However, in the
event of a fire, the overhead sprinklers releasing water may generate
hydrogen
gas when
mixed with aluminum dust and create a potential gas explosion, on or about
January 9, 2003.
AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT METHOD TO
CORRECT THESE HAZARDS INCLUDES, FOLLOWING NFPA 651, STANDARD FOR MACHINING
AND FINISHING OF ALUMINUM AND THE PRODUCTION AND HANDLING OF ALUMINUM
POWDERS, 1998 EDITION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO: EQUIP MACHINES THAT
PRODUCE FINE PARTICLES OF ALUMINUM WITH HOODS, CAPTURE DEVICES, OR
ENCLOSURES CONNECTED TO A DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM; LOCATE DRY-TYPE DUST
COLLECTORS OUTSIDE OF BUILDINGS; PROVIDE BARRIERS OR OTHER MEANS FOR
PROTECTING PERSONNEL NEAR DUST COLLECTORS; CONSTRUCT DUCTWORK OF
CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL WITH SMOOTH INTERIOR SURFACES; DESIGN DUCTWORK TO
MAINTAIN A MINIMUM VELOCITY OF 4500 FEET PER MINUTE AND TO HANDLE
AVOLUMETRIC FLOW RATE THAT KEEPS DUST LOADING SAFELY BELOW THE MINIMUM
EXPLOSIBLE CONCENTRATION; BOND AND GROUND THE ENTIRE DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM
AND DUST-PRODUCING EQUIPMENT; USE CONDUCTIVE, STATIC DISSIPATING DUST
COLLECTOR BAGS; INSTALL A DUST COLLECTOR WITH DEFLAGRATION VENTS; USE A
DUST
COLLECTOR THAT HAS THE FAN LOCATED ON THE CLEAN SIDE OF THE DUST COLLECTOR;
ESTABLISH A MAINTENANCE PROGRAM FOR EMPTYING THE DUST COLLECTOR AT LEAST
ONCE A DAY AND CLEAN THE DUCTWORK PERIODICALLY; MIX WASTE MATERIAL WITH AN
INERT MATERIAL IN A VOLUME RATIO OF FIVE (5) PARTS INERT TO ONE (1) PART
ALUMINUM DUST; USE CONDUCTIVE, NON-SPARKING SHOVELS AND BROOMS OR BRUSHES
WITH NATURAL FIBER BRISTLES FOR CLEANING; ELIMINATE WATER AS AN
EXTINGUISHING
AGENT IN THE ALUMINUM DUST AREAS;
VERIFICATION REQUIRED

Issued

Feb 27, 2003

Abate by

Apr 1, 2003

Penalty

Initial $600 · Current $330 Reduced

Issued

Feb 27, 2003

Abate by

Apr 1, 2003

Penalty

Initial $600 · Current $330 Reduced

Issued

Feb 27, 2003

Abate by

Apr 1, 2003

Penalty

Initial $600 · Current $330 Reduced

Issued

Feb 27, 2003

Abate by

Apr 1, 2003

Penalty

Initial $600 · Current $330 Reduced

Issued

Feb 27, 2003

Abate by

Nov 30, 2003

Penalty

Initial $600 · Current $330 Reduced

Issued

Feb 27, 2003

Abate by

Apr 1, 2003

Penalty

Initial $600 · Current $330 Reduced

Issued

Feb 27, 2003

Abate by

Apr 1, 2003

Issued

Feb 27, 2003

Abate by

Apr 1, 2003

Penalty

Initial $600 · Current $330 Reduced

Issued

Feb 27, 2003

Abate by

Apr 1, 2003

Issued

Feb 27, 2003

Abate by

Apr 1, 2003

Issued

Feb 27, 2003

Abate by

Apr 1, 2003

Issued

Feb 27, 2003

Abate by

Mar 4, 2003