OSHA Inspection: CHEM-TAINER INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED

Issued

Feb 23, 2006

Abate by

May 31, 2006

Penalty

Initial $900 · Current $600 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 segregation,
separation, or detachment of
combustible dust handling and processing areas from other areas; and the
lack of continuous
suction for processes where combustible dusts became liberated during
normal operations:
(a)Powder Dispensing Area - The Powder Dispensing Area where employees
dispensed and mixed polyethylene resin powder, a Class II Group G
combustible
dust, was not segregated, separated, or detached from the rest of the
processing
areas of the facility, which had ignition sources including, but not
limited to,
rotary molding machines that had open flames and hot surfaces, on or about
January 5, 2006.
(b)Powder Dispensing Area - Employees dispensed polyethylene resin powder,
a
Class II Group G combustible dust, into containers from hoses attached to
the
ends of the screw conveyors from the bulk storage silos.  Employees then
poured
the containers of the resin powder into a mixer to combine the powder with
pigment.  No ventilation existed in the area to minimize the escape of the
resin
powder during the dispensing and mixing processes, on or about January 5,
2006.
AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT
METHOD TO CORRECT THESE HAZARDS INCLUDES, FOLLOWING NFPA 654
STANDARD FOR THE PREVENTION OF FIRE AND DUST EXPLOSIONS FROM THE
MANUFACTURING, PROCESSING, AND HANDLING OF COMBUSTIBLE
PARTICULATE SOLIDS, 2000 EDITION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
ERECTING DUST-TIGHT PHYSICAL BARRIERS (WALLS, CEILINGS, PARTITIONS,
DOORS, ETC.) TO SEGREGATE DUST-PRODUCING OPERATIONS FROM OTHER
OPERATIONS, SEPARATING DUST-PRODUCING OPERATIONS BY A DISTANCE OF
NO LESS THAN 30 FEET FROM OTHER OPERATIONS (AND ALONG WITH PHYSICAL
SEPARATION, IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE HOUSEKEEPING AND DUST
COLLECTION SYSTEMS AT POINTS OF DUST RELEASE), OR LOCATING DUST-
PRODUCING OPERATIONS IN A SEPARATE DETACHED LOCATION; AND
INSTALLING A VENTILATION SYSTEM ON THE DISPENSING HOSES TO MINIMIZE
THE ESCAPE OF DUST.
VERIFICATION REQUIREDTION

Issued

Feb 23, 2006

Abate by

Mar 28, 2006

Penalty

Initial $900 · Current $100 Reduced

Issued

Feb 23, 2006

Abate by

Mar 28, 2006

Penalty

Initial $900 · Current $100 Reduced

Issued

Feb 23, 2006

Abate by

May 31, 2006

Penalty

Initial $900 · Current $600 Reduced

Issued

Feb 23, 2006

Abate by

Mar 28, 2006

Penalty

Initial $675 · Current $400 Reduced

Issued

Feb 23, 2006

Abate by

Mar 28, 2006

Issued

Feb 23, 2006

Abate by

Mar 28, 2006

Penalty

Initial $675 · Current $400 Reduced

Issued

Feb 23, 2006

Abate by

Mar 28, 2006

Penalty

Initial $675 · Current $400 Reduced

Issued

Feb 23, 2006

Abate by

May 31, 2006

Penalty

Initial $900 · Current $600 Reduced