OSHA Inspection: AMERICAN LOUVERED PRODUCTS COMPANY

Issued

Mar 8, 2011

Abate by

Sep 30, 2011

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $2,450 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 are likely to cause blunt force trauma, burns, serious injury or
death in that employees
are exposed to fire and explosion hazards.
For American Louvered Products location at 4910 West Knollwood Street,
Tampa, FL
33634, as observed on or about 12/20/2010:
a) Floor sweepers used to pick up saw dust and were not approved for use
with a
class 2 dust. The wood dust at the facility was analyzed to be an
explosive class 2
dust with an explosion severity of 1.49. The vacuum being used was a
Powr-Flite
model number PS-1000 and SN 0105619.
b) Fire protection and explosion propagation devices were not installed on
the dust
collection system to prevent the propagation of fire or explosion energy
where
deflagration and fire hazards existed. Sparks were emitted from the
woodworking
process equipment which could ignite wood dust and propagate flame through
the duct
work to other equipment or to the dust collector resulting in fire or
rupturing of the
duct work. No spark arresting system or suppression system was in place.
Accidents
had occurred in the past where friction and/or sparks from woodworking
equipment
had ignited wood dust and propagated a pressure and flame wave through the
duct
work causing damage to the duct work and fires in the dust collector.
ABATEMENT NOTE: Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to
correct
these hazards is to comply with the National Fire Protection Agency NFPA
664 "Prevention
of Fires and Explosions in Woodworking and Wood Processing Facilities",
NFPA 68
"Standard on Explosion Protection by Deflagration Venting", and NFPA 69
"Standard on
Explosion Prevention Systems 2008 edition"; including but not limited to:
a) Use a vacuum
cleaner listed for use in a class 2 hazardous location, b) install a spark
detection and
suppression system on duct work that is connected to machinery subject to
sparks and
ignition sources from process equipment.

Issued

Mar 8, 2011

Abate by

May 31, 2011

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $2,450 Reduced

Issued

Mar 8, 2011

Abate by

May 31, 2011

Issued

Mar 8, 2011

Abate by

Mar 11, 2011

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $1,400 Reduced

Issued

Mar 8, 2011

Abate by

Mar 31, 2011

Penalty

Initial $4,200 · Current $2,100 Reduced