OSHA Inspection: SIDNEY SUGARS, INC.

Issued

May 6, 2009

Abate by

Feb 15, 2010

Penalty

Initial $4,000 · Current $2,000 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 the hazard of explosion:
(a) Coal Handling Area; Coal Crushing Penthouse - Employees were exposed
to the hazard
of explosion where the bucket elevator leg that was located inside was not
equipped with
explosion relief venting to prevent a secondary dust explosion and/or
rupture of the elevator
housing.
(b) Boiler House Area; Coal Handling Area; Coal Crushing Penthouse -
Employees were
exposed to the hazard of explosion where the rooms, buildings, or other
enclosures were not
provided with explosion relief venting distributed over the exterior walls
and roof to prevent
structural failures in the event of a dust explosion.
(c) Coal Handling Area: Two 16" screw augers ("scrolls") transferring coal
to two
underlying fuel bunkers - Employees were exposed to the hazard of
explosion where the
screw conveyors were not equipped with deflagration prevention devices
such as, but not
limited to deflagration/explosion relief venting, containment, isolation,
or suppression to
prevent the continued propagation of a flame front and overpressure into
adjacent
buildings/structures or areas and/or rupture of the equipment.
(d) Penthouse/coal crushing area: Employees were exposed to the hazard of
explosion where
coal dust was allowed to excaped from the coal crushing equipment and from
the
conveying/hopper system feeding coal into the coal crusher.
(e) Bucket elevator/inclined conveying belt area:  Employees were exposed
to the hazard of
explosion where coal dust was allowed to escape from the point where the
bucket elevator
feeds coal onto the inclined open belt conveyor.
(f) 16" Scroll conveyers/Y-hopper area: Employees were exposed to the
hazard of explosion
where the dust was allowed to escape from the point where the inclined
open belt conveyor
feeds coal into the Y-hopper feeding the two 16" scroll conveyers.
(g) Two 16" Scroll Conveyers: Employees were exposed to the hazard of
explosion where
dust was allowed to excape from the two 16" Scroll Conveyers in that the
covers for the
enclosure were not closed and dust tight.
(h) 4 Bulk Sugar Silos (Old), Weibul Storage Bin & 10 Bulk Sugar Storage
Silos (New) -
Employees were exposed to the hazard of explosion in the bulk storage
areas where the
inside legs (bucket elevators) used to convey granulated sugar were not
equipped with
bearing temperature, belt alignment, and vibration detection monitors at
the head and tail
pulleys to shut down equipment and/or notify the operator before the
initiation
of a fire
and/or explosion, exposing employees to explosion and fire hazards.
(i) 4 Bulk Sugar Storage Silos (Old) and adjoining equipment building, The
Weibul storagebin and adjoining equipment building and the 10 Bulk Sugar
Storage Silos (New) -
Employees were exposed to the hazard of explosion where the rooms,
buildings, or other
enclosure were not provided with explosion relief venting distributed over
the exterior walls
and roof to prevent structural failures in the event of a dust explosion.
(j) Warehouse #2 - Employees were exposed to the hazard of explosion in
warehouse #2 at
the bagging (sugar packing) equipment in that the packing equipment was
allowed to operate
with the dust collector off.
One feasible means of abatement for instances (a) and (c) would be to
design and install
appropriate deflagration/explosion protection systems for all coal
conveyance and processing
equipment, as referenced in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
654,
2006 edition,
Chapter 7, paragraph 7.1.2.1, 7.10.1.1 and 7.10.1.2 ; and Chapter 6,
paragraphs 6.4.1.
Other feasible abatement methods to correct the hazards identified in
instances (d) through
(g) above, one method is to implement the requirement of NFPA 654 (2006)
Sections
7.11.1.2 to use the dust tight enclosures and other techniques identified
in section 8.1 to
prevent the escape of dust into the room.
Other feasible means of abatement for instance (h) would be to install
bearing temperature,
belt alignment, and vibration detection monitors at the head and tail
pulleys of inside legs
(bucket elevators), as referenced in NFPA 61, 2008, Chapter 7.
Other feasible means of abatement for instances (b) and (i) would be to
comply with the
requirements in NFPA 61, 2008, Chapter 7 and NFPA 654, 2006.
One feasible means of abatement for instance (j) would be to comply with
requirements
in
NFPA 61, Chapter 10.
Pursuant to 29 C.F.R. 1903.19, within ten (10) calendar days, the employer
must submit an
abatement plan describing the actions it is taking to prevent the hazards
described in
instances (a), (b) and (c) above.

Issued

May 6, 2009

Abate by

Oct 1, 2009

Penalty

Initial $4,000 · Current $2,000 Reduced

Issued

May 6, 2009

Abate by

May 14, 2009

Penalty

Initial $1,200 · Current $600 Reduced

Issued

May 6, 2009

Abate by

May 14, 2009

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,000 Reduced

Issued

May 6, 2009

Abate by

May 14, 2009

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,000 Reduced

Issued

May 6, 2009

Abate by

May 14, 2009

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $800 Reduced