OSHA Inspection: BEMIS COMPANY INCORPORATED

Issued

Aug 10, 2011

Abate by

Sep 26, 2011

Penalty

Initial $3,750

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 dust explosion, deflagration or other hazards from a dust
collection system used
to collect low density polyethylene (PPA) dust (class II Dust) which was
located inside the
building:
a) The enclosureless dust collection system located inside the Extrusion
Department contained
twenty four bulk storage containers with a combined internal volume of
approximately 200 cubic
feet.  This exceeds the 8 cubic feet limit established by the National
Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) 654 "Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust
Explosions from the
Manufacturing, Processing, Handing of Combustible Particulate Solids, 2006
Edition.
b) The dust collection system was not equipped with a deflagration
suppression system.
c) The dust collection system was not equipped with deflagration vents
that are vented through
ducts to the outside.
d) Recycled air from the air-material separator exhaust did not achieve a
filter efficiency of 99.9
percent at 10 microns as required by NFPA 654 Section 6.1.3.  Observed on
or about May 13,
2011.
ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED
ABATEMENT NOTE:  Among other methods, a feasible abatement method to
correct this
hazard includes:  Relocate the dust collector system outside the building
or modify the system
so that it fully complies with the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA)
654 "Standard
for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing,
Processing, and Handing
of Combustible Particulate Solids." 2006 Edition.