OSHA Inspection: COOKSON ELECTRONICS

Issued

Jul 13, 2006

Abate by

Jul 31, 2006

Penalty

Initial $4,500 · Current $3,150 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 burn hazards due to molten metal explosions and/or
splatters:
(a) Facility, Casting Department, Sixth Avenue, Altoona, PA:  On or about
May 26,
2006, employees are exposed to burns from molten metal due to water
remaining in
and/or on the molds at the Wirtz 52 machine.
(b) Facility, Casting Department, Sixth Avenue, Altoona, PA: On or about
March 29,
2006 an employee received burns when the stamp came down on a bar that did
not
harden. The stamp hit the liquid metal and splattered it causing an
employee to receive
burns.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this
hazard is to develop a Safe Operating Procedure to ensure the separation
of water and
molten metal and to develop a procedure outlining the safe operating
speed, water
pressure and flame height on the Wirtz 52 machine.