OSHA Inspection: RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL LLC

Issued

Apr 4, 2007

Abate by

Feb 1, 2009

Penalty

Initial $700 · Current $490 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not
furnish employmnent 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 the hazard of potential fire and explosion because methods
and practices were
not utilized to protect air material separators (dust collectors) from
explosion and prevent
propagation of fire/explosion from air/material separators (dust
collectors) into areas occupied
by employees:
(a)Screen Line, MAC Dust Collector - The exhaust air from the MAC dust
collection system was recycled back into the work area, on or about
February 2,
2007.
(b)Outside, Camcorp Dust Collector(s) - The exhaust air from the Camcorp
dust
collection system located outdoors was recycled back into the building and
the
system was not designed to prevent a transmission of energy from a fire
and/or
explosion back into the building, on or about February 2, 2007.
(c)Screen Line, MAC Dust Collector - Deflagration (explosion) venting was
not
provided to minimize the pressures developed in the event of fire and/or
explosion within the dust collector, on or about February 2, 2007.
(d)Outside, Camcorp Dust Collector(s) - Deflagration (explosion) venting
was not
provided to minimize the pressures developed in the event of fire and/or
explosion within the dust collector, on or about February 2, 2007.
(e)Plant - Pieces of equipment used to handle or generate a combustible
rubber dust
particle were not provided with an isolation device to prevent deflagration
propagation between the pieces of equipment connected by ductwork.
Isolation
devices include items such as chokes, rotary valves, automatic fast acting
valve
systems, flame front diverters, or chemical suppression systems, on or
about
February 2, 2007.
(f)Screen Line, MAC Dust Collector - Isolation devices such as back draft
dampers
were not utilized to prevent deflagrations (fire/explosion) from traveling
through
duct work, on or about February 2, 2007.
(g)Outside, Camcorp Dust Collector(s) - Isolation devices such as back
draft
dampers were not utilized to prevent deflagrations (fire/explosion) from
traveling
through the ductwork upstream to the work areas, on or about February 2,
2007.
(h)Plantwide - Conveyors (belt, screw, etc.) used to transport combustible
rubber
dust particles were not equipped with a device to shut off the power to
the drive
motor and sound an alarm in the event of conveyor plugs, on or about
February
2, 2007.  Methods to achieve this shut off capability include sensing
overcurrent
to the drive motor or high motor temperature.
(i)Screen Line, MAC Dust Collector - The MAC dust collector was not located
outside, on or about February 2, 2007.  In lieu of relocating the dust
collector,
you may consider the following options: Installing a collector suppression
system,
pressure containment system, oxygen reduction, dilution with another
noncombustible dust, or provide deflagration venting to the existing MAC
collector through properly sized ducts vented to the outside.
ABATEMENT NOTE: Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement
method to correct these hazards is to comply with the National Fire
Protection
Association (NFPA) 654, "Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust
Explosions from
the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate
Solids (2006)"
as it applies to your operations and equipment including but not limited
to:
(1)Recycle exhaust air from dust collectors in accordance with Section
6.1.3 or
otherwise adhere to the exceptions.
(2)Provide dust collection equipment with proper explosion protection (i.e.
deflagration venting) in accordance with 7.1.2.1.
(3)Provide proper isolation devices between pieces of equipment connected
by
ductwork to prevent deflagration propagation in accordance with 7.1.4.1 and
7.1.4.2.
(4)Provide proper isolation devices from dust collection equipment
upstream into the
work areas to prevent deflagration propagation in accordance with 7.1.5.1
and
7.1.5.2.
(5)Provide proper alarm systems on conveyor(s) to shut down the system(s)
if a plug
occurs in accordance with 7.11.2.1 and 7.11.2.2.
(6)Locate the MAC dust collector outside of the building in accordance with
7.13.1.1.1 or otherwise adhere to the exceptions listed in 7.13.1.1.2.
VERIFICATION REQUIRED

Issued

Apr 4, 2007

Abate by

Aug 7, 2007

Penalty

Initial $700 · Current $490 Reduced

Issued

Apr 4, 2007

Abate by

Feb 2, 2007

Penalty

Initial $445 · Current $312 Reduced

Issued

Apr 4, 2007

Abate by

Nov 30, 2007

Penalty

Initial $700 · Current $490 Reduced

Issued

Apr 4, 2007

Abate by

May 7, 2007

Penalty

Initial $525 · Current $367 Reduced

Issued

Apr 4, 2007

Abate by

May 7, 2007

Penalty

Initial $525 · Current $366 Reduced

Issued

Apr 4, 2007

Abate by

May 7, 2007

Issued

Apr 4, 2007

Abate by

Apr 30, 2007

Issued

Apr 4, 2007

Abate by

Apr 9, 2007