OSHA Inspection: SAN LUIS SPIRITS INC.

Issued

Jan 29, 2009

Abate by

May 23, 2009

Penalty

Initial $1,500 · Current $1,500

Hazardous substances 1060

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 hazards of fire/explosion:
a) Employees working in the distilling barn were exposed to hazards while
ethanol vapors
were present in the work area. An engineering evaluation of the operation
including application
of sound fire protection and process engineering principles was not
conducted to analyze the
release of alcohol vapors under routine and emergency conditions.   Among
other methods,
feasible and acceptable methods to correct this hazard are: 1) Perform a
process hazard analysis
and safely vent alcohol vapors to the outside of the building in
accordance with NFPA 30
Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code 2008 Edition (Reference Chapter
17). 2) Develop and
implement step-by-step standard operating procedures for activities
involving
ethanol and
distillation products including handling, use, manufacturing, on-site
movement, and storage in
accordance with the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Guidelines
for Writing Effective
Operating and Maintenance Procedures.
b) Employees working in the distilling barn were exposed to the hazards
associated with
open flames where alcohol vapors were present during routine operations
and where distillation
products were stored in drums. Open flame burners were not approved for
the direct fire
application indoors.  Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable
method to correct this
hazard is to eliminate open flames by using stills that are equipped with
insulated fire boxes.
c) Employees working in the distilling barn were exposed to the hazards
associated with
static charge. During the distillation process, the copper stills were not
effectively grounded and
bonded to collection drums.  Among other methods, one feasible and
acceptable
method to
correct this hazard is to ground and bond in accordance with NFPA 30
Flammable and
Combustible Liquids Code 2008 Edition (Reference Chapter 6).

Issued

Jan 29, 2009

Abate by

Feb 18, 2009

Penalty

Initial $500 · Current $500

Hazardous substances 1060