OSHA Inspection: U.S. POSTAL SERVICE - BELL

Issued

Dec 2, 2008

Abate by

Dec 15, 2008

Penalty

Initial $1,700 · Current $1,700

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
could be exposed to harmful concentrations of chemical vapors from
charging batteries if the
electrical system does not shut off the batteries and chargers with the
failure of the ventilation
system:
a)U.S. Postal Service- Bell: On or about July 1, 2008 employees work and
perform
operations such as driving forklifts inside the battery charging sections
185 and 186,
changing batteries from forklifts and placing batteries for charging.
There are
approximately over 15 EXIDE Battery Chargers and 10 forklift batteries
charging at one
point or another. The manual shutoff control located outside the charging
room was
activated and did not work. Batteries and chargers were still energized
with
the
ventilation system off.
ABATEMENT NOTE: AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE
ABATEMENT METHOD TO CORRECT THIS HAZARD IS TO FIX/REPLACE THE
AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF AND FOLLOW THE 2003 INTERNATIONAL MECHANICAL
CODE (IMC), CHAPTER 5, SECTION 502.8.1.1 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS, NUMBER 4:
A MANUAL SHUTOFF CONTROL SHALL BE PROVIDED OUTSIDE OF THE ROOM IN
A POSITION ADJACENT TO THE ACCESS DOOR TO THE ROOM OR IN ANOTHER
APPROVED LOCATION.

Issued

Dec 2, 2008

Abate by

Dec 29, 2008

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 inhalation of flammable vapors from the battery charging
operation:
a)U.S.Postal Service- Bell: On or about July 1 , 2008 employees working
inside the battery
charging sections 185 and 186 conduct operations such as but not limited
to driving
forklifts, changing and charging of batteries and a exposed to higher
concentrations
of
the gas by product from the battery charging. The employer placed a large
fan inside the
room and all doors were open causing the ventilation system not to work
effectively and
therefore employees were able to smell concentrations of a gas in the air
while working
inside both charging sections.
The ventilation system was dirty and is not maintained.
ABATEMENT NOTE: AMONG OTHER FEASIBLE METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND
ACCEPTABLE METHOD TO CORRECT THIS HAZARD IS TO IMPLEMENT A
CLEANING, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR SCHEDULE OF THE VENTILATION
SYSTEM AS REFERENCED IN THE 2003 INTERNATIONAL MECHANICAL CODE
(IMC), CHAPTER 1, ADMINISTRATION, SECTION 102.3.MAINTENANCE.
MECHANICAL SYSTEMS, BOTH EXISTING AND NEW, AND PARTS THEREOF SHALL
BE MAINTAINED IN PROPER OPERATING CONDITION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
ORIGINAL DESIGN AND IN SAFE SANITARY CONDITION.

Issued

Dec 2, 2008

Abate by

Dec 12, 2008

Penalty

Initial $1,275

Issued

Dec 2, 2008

Abate by

Dec 29, 2008

Penalty

Initial $1,275

Issued

Dec 2, 2008

Abate by

Dec 17, 2008