OSHA Inspection: SPIELBAUER FIREWORKS CO, INC

Issued

Jan 6, 2011

Abate by

Jan 24, 2011

Penalty

Initial $3,000 · Current $1,500 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, explosion or struck by projectile hazards created by
the premature and
unexpected ignition of fireworks, or an uncontrolled explosion of a
firework device during a
display:
a)On July 11, 2010 located at 2017 and 2039 10th Avenue (at the retention
basin)in
Antigo, WI, two employees were working at a Class B fireworks display
where two (2)
1.3G Classified 3 inch aerial shells had been loaded into 36 inch length
cardboard
mortars which had been previously exposed to moisture (rain) on July 4,
2010, stored
until use on July 11, 2010, and again exposed to moisture (rain) on July
11, 2010, when
removed from storage; only plastic wrap was used to cover and protect
loaded
mortars
from moisture prior to ignition.
b)On July 11, 2010 located at 2017 and 2039 10th Avenue (at the retention
basin) in
Antigo, WI during a Class B fireworks display, an employee manually
ignited a 3 inch
Salute aerial shell which had been loaded by leaving less than one inch of
its quickmatch
fuse protruding out from the mortar and held in place by two pieces of
tape; the Salute
instantaneously ignited and exploded in its mortar effecting the next 3
inch aerial shell
loaded in the rack which prematurely ignited and exploded in its mortar
tube.
Among other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct
these hazards are
to ensure conformance to good safety practices for the use of Class B
fireworks in a display
according to the acceptable requirements of the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA)
1123 Code for Fireworks Display 2010 Edition Chapter 4 Requirements for
Display
Fireworks
Aerial Shells and Equipment and Chapter 8 Operation of the Display.
Abatement Certification or Abatement Documentation requiredation

Issued

Jan 6, 2011

Abate by

Jan 24, 2011

Penalty

Initial $3,000 · Current $1,500 Reduced