OSHA Inspection: RESERVE ALLOYS LLC

Issued

Dec 14, 2012

Abate by

Mar 31, 2013

Penalty

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

General-duty citation text

5(a) (1):  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 combustible aluminum dust explosion, deflagration or other fire hazards while working at or near an aluminum shredder and dust collector:    a. On or about 6/27/2012, the small shredder, American Pulverizer model 48X50, used to grind aluminum scrap, was operated without a dust collection system.  A combustible dust deflagration occurred within the shredder when it was operated without the dust collection system engaged.     b. Open combustible sacks positioned below the baghouse dust collector which services the small shredder, were used to collect dust for up to two days of operation.  These sacks were open at the top and were incapable of containing dust leakage during collection and material handling transportation.

Issued

Dec 14, 2012

Abate by

Mar 31, 2013

Penalty

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

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(a):  Protective equipment was not used wherever it is necessary by reason of hazards of process or environment, chemical hazards, or mechanical irritants encountered in a manner capable of causing injury or impairment in the function of any part of the body through absorption, inhalation or physical contact:    Employees working at the shredders were not provided with and required to use fire retardant clothing.  Employees are exposed to flash fires in the event of malfunctions in the equipment or the dust collection system.

Issued

Dec 14, 2012

Abate by

Jan 3, 2013

Penalty

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

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.135(a)(1): The employer did not ensure that each affected employee wears  a protective helmet when working in areas where there is a potential for injury to the head from falling objects:    Employees walking in the aisle near the eddy current separator were not required to wear  head protection to protect them from aluminum chunks which fall from the eddy current   conveyor.

Issued

Dec 14, 2012

Abate by

Mar 31, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $1,750 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(c)(2)(vi)(a): General duty fork trucks were  used in atmospheres in which combustible dust will not normally be in suspension in the air but where mechanical failure or abnormal operation might cause mixtures of combustible dust to be produced. Only approved power-operated industrial trucks designated as EX should be used:    Although EX fork trucks were required to avoid a dust explosion in the event of a spill, general duty fork trucks were used at the dust collection system located outside the building to move super-sacks containing aluminum dust.

Issued

Dec 14, 2012

Abate by

Dec 24, 2012

Penalty

Initial $33,000 · Current $16,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(g)(1): An audiometric testing program was not established and maintained for all employees whose noise exposure equaled or exceeded an 8 hour time weighted average of 85 DBA:    a.  An employee operating a fork truck to feed the large shredder was exposed to continuous noise at 148.77% of the permissible daily noise exposure (8-hour time-weighted average sound level of 90 dBA) during the 450 minute sampling period on 10/3/2012; exposure calculations include a zero increment for the 30 minutes not sampled.    b.  An employee working at the eddy current separator was exposed to continuous noise at 87.74% of the permissible daily noise exposure (8-hour time-weighted average sound level of 90 dBA) during the 461 minute sampling period on 10/3/2012; exposure calculations include a zero increment for the 19 minutes not sampled.