OSHA Inspection: ECOLAB, INC.

Issued

Jun 23, 2006

Abate by

Nov 6, 2006

Penalty

Initial $300

Hazardous substances 22602085S227

General-duty citation text

Vermont Statute, TITLE 21 Labor : CHAPTER 3. SAFETY : Subchapter 5.
Occupational Safety and
Health :  223. Duties and 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 the hazard of inadvertent mixing of incompatible
chemicals that would
produce exothermic chemical reactions that release hazardous
heats-of-reaction and/or chlorine gas and/or
other halogenated gases.
Location(s): 1) Copley Manor, 577 Washington Highway,  Morrisville,  VT
and; 2) CPL Long Term Care, Inc.,
d.b.a. Rowan Court Health and Rehabilitation Center, 378 Prospect Street,
Barre VT (Rowan Court).
Violation:
The employer did not ensure that employees were protected from exposure to
the hazard of exothermic reactions
that include(s) the offgassing of halogenated gases while working in the
chemical storage areas and the
laundry rooms, where provisions were not made for the safe separation of
incompatible chemicals, in that,
five (5)-gallon, plastic containers of Sodium Hydroxide (strong base) and
Phosphoric Acid (strong acid)
and Sodium Hypochlorite (halogenated base) were stored and/or dispensed
within 4 feet of each other,
on or about 01/06/06 at CPL Long Term Care, Inc., d.b.a. Rowan Court
Health and Rehabilitation Center
(Rowan Court) in Barre, Vermont and; on or about 12/27/05 at Copley Manor
in Morrisville, Vermont.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard is to
physically separate the acids and alkalies and halogenated caustic
materials into different areas and to
refrain from stacking containers of incompatible materials on top of each
other (on flammable wooden
pallets at Rowan Court) and to secure these buckets inside containment
pans or troughs. This
administrative change would eliminate the chance of inadvertently mixing
incompatible materials caused
by 1) broken or accidentally opened bungs on the containers and/or; 2)
broken
service tubing exiting the
containers and/or; 3) incorrectly emplaced service tubing filled with an
incompatible corrosive material
and/or 4) a spill or splatter accident.