OSHA Inspection: POLYCARBON INDUSTRIES, INC.

Issued

Aug 10, 2005

Abate by

Aug 15, 2005

Penalty

Initial $3,000 · Current $1,500 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 in that
employees were exposed
to fire and explosion hazards :
a) LEOMINSTER BATCH PLANT: THE MANUFACTURE OF TRIETHYLAMMONIUM
DECAHYDRODECABORATE PERFORMED AT THE COMPANY DURING MARCH 2005
EXPOSED EMPLOYEES TO EXPLOSION AND FIRE HAZARDS MAY HAVE BEEN THE
RESULT OF THE ELIMINATION OF THE ANHYDROUS MAGNESIUM SULFATE
DRYING STEP FROM THE SYNTHESIS PROCESS. THE "DRYING" OF THE HEXANE
LAYER DURING STEP TWO IS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO REMOVE THE RESIDUAL
HEXANE/WATER AZEOTROPES FROM THE BATCH MIX PRIOR TO THE INITIATION
OF STEP THREE OF THE SYNTHESIS PROCESS WHICH CAN REACT VIOLENTLY
WITH THE DECABORANE DURING STEP THREE.
AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE METHOD OF
CORRECTING THIS HAZARD WOULD BE TO MODIFY THE BATCH INSTRUCTION
FOR TRIETHYLAMMONIUM DECAHYDROBORATE BY ADDING THE NECESSARY
STEP(S) TO THE PROCESS TO "DRY" THE WATER/HEXANE AZEOTROPES FROM THE
HEXANE LAYER. THIS COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED BY ADDITION OF ANHYDROUS
MAGNESIUM SULFATE TO THE HEXANE LAYER FOLLOWED BY FILTERING THE
HEXANE LAYER THROUGH A BED OF ACTIVATED SILICA GEL TO ENSURE THE
REMOVAL OF THE HEXANE WATER AZEOTROPES AND REMOVAL OF RESIDUAL
SULFATES FROM THE HEXANE LAYER PRIOR TO THE INITRIATION OF STEP
THREE OF THE SYNTHESIS PROCESS.S