OSHA Inspection: SCICAST INTERNATIONAL, INCORPORATED

Issued

May 25, 2004

Abate by

Aug 1, 2005

Penalty

Initial $700 · Current $350 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 an approved
dust collection system, the location of the dust collectors in a Class II,
Division 1 area, the use of non-
conductive and corrugated ductwork, the lack of proper bonding and
grounding and daily cleaning.
(a)Sanding Shop - Employees sanded aluminum parts using three (3)
Kalamazoo Industries six (6)
inch belt sanders and collected the dust using two (2) Delta high
efficiency ferrous dust
collectors.  The two (2), Delta  High Efficiency ferrous dust collectors,
model:  49-909,
serial numbers 86101087 and 86101058 were 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.
The dust collector, belt sander and ductwork were not bonded together.
The dust collection
system was not designed with deflagration vents.  The dust collector was
not designed by the
manufacture to be used for aluminum dust.  Dust was not being removed from
the
dust
collectors on a daily basis.  Exhaust air from dust collector the was
recycled back into the
building and the area around the collector was not posted, "This dust
collector can contain
explosible dust", on or about January 8, 2004.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct these hazards includes,
following NFPA 651, "Standard for the Machining and Finishing of Aluminum
and the Production and
Handling of Aluminum Powders", 1998 Edition, including, but not limited
to:  Connect machines that produce
fine particles of aluminum to an approved 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 a volumetric flow rate that keeps dust
levels safely below the Minimum
Explosible Concentration (MEC); 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; establish a 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; post the dust
collector with appropriate hazard warning
signs.
VERIFICATION REQUIREDTION

Issued

May 25, 2004

Abate by

Jun 21, 2004

Penalty

Initial $700

Issued

May 25, 2004

Abate by

Jul 15, 2008

Penalty

Initial $700 · Current $100 Reduced

Issued

May 25, 2004

Abate by

Jan 8, 2004

Penalty

Initial $700 · Current $350 Reduced

Issued

May 25, 2004

Abate by

Aug 1, 2005

Penalty

Initial $700 · Current $350 Reduced