OSHA Inspection: BEECHER & MYERS COMPANY, INCORPORATED

Issued

Jan 13, 2012

Abate by

Jun 29, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,000 · Current $1,800 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 fire and explosion hazards from combustible wood dust:
(a)Beecher and Myers Company, Inc., 5176 Commerce Drive, York,
Pennsylvania -
The facility had a dust collection system which consisted of two
interconnected
Dixie Air System Whispr dust filter and baghouse units that handled Class
II
combustible wood dust.  This dust collection system had the following
deficiencies, on or about October 17, 2011:  (1) The dust collection
system did
not have sufficient capture velocity as evidenced by excessive
accumulations of
wood dust on surfaces in the Routing Area.  (2) The employer had one of the
Dixie Air System Whispr dust filter and baghouse units located inside the
building
and did not have any explosion prevention systems on this unit for fire and
deflagration protection.  (3) The ductwork conveying the Class II wood
dust did
not have isolation devices to prevent fires and deflagrations from
propagating
from the dust collectors back through the inlet ductwork to the woodworking
equipment or through the ductwork recycling exhausted air back into the
building
over the winter months.
(b)Routing Area - Employees used compressed air at 80 p.s.i. to clean
Class II wood
dust from the tables of the CNC routers, on or about October 17, 2011.
ABATEMENT NOTE:  Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to
correct these hazards includes following the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA)
664, Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Explosions in Wood
Processing and
Woodworking Facilities, 2007 Edition, including, but not limited to:
*Size every section of the dust collection system for not less than the
minimum air
velocity and volume required to collect and transport the combustible wood
dust
through the ducting and into the collection system (NFPA 664, Chapter 8,
Section
8.2.2.1.5).
*Locate dust collectors with a deflagration hazard outside of buildings.
If located
indoors, do one of the following measures:  equip such dust collectors
with a
listed deflagration suppression system; or equip such dust collectors with
deflagration relief vents with relief pipes extending to safe areas
outside the
building as well as ensure the dust collector meets the maximum reduced
deflagration pressure of the wood dust; or equip such dust collectors with
deflagration relief vents exhausting though listed flame-quenching devices
as well
as ensure that the dust collector meets the maximum reduced deflagration
pressure
of the wood dust (NFPA 664, Chapter 8, Section 8.2.2.5.1.4 (1) - (6)).
*Isolate conveying systems with fire and deflagration hazards to prevent
propagation of fire and deflagration both upstream and downstream into
occupied
areas or other critical process equipment (NFPA 664, Chapter 8,
Section8.2.4.1).  Examples of isolation methods include mechanical
isolation (such as
rotary airlock valves), chemical isolation (discharge of a chemical
extinguishing
agent into interconnecting pipe or duct), and flame front diverters (such
as
backblast dampers and high-speed abort gates).
*Use compressed air to blow down surfaces only under all of the following
conditions:  vacuum prior to blow down; shut down or remove from the area
electrical power and other sources of ignition or have electrical
installations
classified for use in dusty areas per NFPA 70, National Electrical Code;
use only
low gauge pressure air of 15 p.s.i.; have no open flames, sparks from spark
producing equipment, or hot surfaces capable of igniting a dust cloud or
layer;
have all fire protection equipment in service (NFPA 664, Chapter 11,
Section
11.2.1.1).
Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The
certification
shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of
abatement, and
states employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Jan 13, 2012

Abate by

Feb 15, 2012

Penalty

Initial $3,000 · Current $1,800 Reduced

Issued

Jan 13, 2012

Abate by

Feb 15, 2012

Issued

Jan 13, 2012

Abate by

Feb 15, 2012

Penalty

Initial $3,000 · Current $1,800 Reduced

Issued

Jan 13, 2012

Abate by

Feb 15, 2012

Issued

Jan 13, 2012

Abate by

Feb 15, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,400 · Current $1,440 Reduced

Issued

Jan 13, 2012

Abate by

Feb 15, 2012

Penalty

Initial $1,800 · Current $1,080 Reduced

Issued

Jan 13, 2012

Abate by

Feb 15, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,400 · Current $1,440 Reduced

Issued

Jan 13, 2012

Abate by

Feb 15, 2012

Issued

Jan 13, 2012

Abate by

Feb 15, 2012

Penalty

Initial $1,800 · Current $1,080 Reduced

Issued

Jan 13, 2012

Abate by

Feb 15, 2012

Penalty

Initial $3,000 · Current $1,800 Reduced

Issued

Jan 13, 2012

Abate by

Feb 15, 2012

Penalty

Initial $3,000 · Current $1,800 Reduced

Issued

Jan 13, 2012

Abate by

Feb 8, 2012

Issued

Jan 13, 2012

Abate by

Feb 15, 2012

Issued

Jan 13, 2012

Abate by

Feb 15, 2012