OSHA Inspection: THERMAL SOLUTIONS PRODUCTS, LLC

Issued

Apr 6, 2011

Abate by

May 9, 2011

Penalty

Initial $3,570 · Current $2,675 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 a struck-by hazard from flying
polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe fragments:
(a)Burner Room - The employer used schedule 40 polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
piping of varying
diameters to transport compressed air for use in the burner manufacturing
process, exposing
employees to a struck-by hazard from flying fragments associated with such
use of PVC piping
in above ground installations.  According to the Plastic Pipe Institute
and the Plastic Pipe and
Fittings Association, PVC piping does not possess shatter resistant
properties, and failure of
the piping presents a serious hazard to employees from resultant flying
shards or pipe
fragments which become rapidly propelled by the released energy of a
suddenly decompressing
gas, as happened on March 1, 2011 when PVC piping carrying compressed air
in the Burner
Room did burst and shatter.
Among other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct
this hazard include
encasing above ground installations of PVC piping in metal piping as
specified in the American
Society of Mechanical Engineers Code for Pressure Piping:  Gas
Transmission and Distribution Piping
Systems (ASME B31.8-2010) or using only certain acrylonitrile butadiene
styrene (ABS) plastic piping
specifically marked as approved for transporting compressed air.
VERIFICATION REQUIREDTION