OSHA Inspection: BELCHER CORPORATION

Issued

Apr 20, 2004

Abate by

Jun 7, 2004

Penalty

Initial $4,000 · Current $2,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety & 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 dealth or serious physical harm to employees,
in that employees were
exposed to fire and explosion hazards associated with malleable iron
annealing furnaces.
(a) Location - Heat Treatment Area:
On or about 03/26/04, a maintenance worker was pinned between the rear of
#7
annealing furnace and the back wall of the building when the furnace
exploded, lifting
the furnace up and backwards from its concrete anchorage foundation.
Employees were
exposed to explosion and crushing hazards due to the lack of preventative
maintenance,
and training in safe operating procedures for start-up and shut down
procedures
for the
annealing furnace.
Feasible Abatement methods include but are not limited to the following:
1. Establish and enforce preventative maintenance procedures for regularly
scheduled inspection,
operation checks, and testing to be performed by qualified personnel in
accordance to
manufacturers instructions and NFPA 68 Standard for Ovens and Furnaces
Chapter 14, to ensure
that equipment is in safe working order.
2. Implement safe operating procedures for operators and maintenance
personnel to follow in
accordance to manufacturers instructions and NFPA 68 Standard for Ovens
and Furnaces
Chapter 4.2 Operator and Maintenance Personnel Training.
3. Ensure all operating and maintenance personnel are trained under the
direction of a qualified
person(s) and evaluate that all personnell are proficient in knoweledge of
and
practice safe
operating procedures.