OSHA Inspection: MFA INC.

Issued

2014-01-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-02-27 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $7000.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances E200M102M104

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, including severe burns in that employees were exposed to combustible dust explosion, deflagration, or other fire hazards while working at or near from dust collector and/or bag house being located inside a building.      (a) Main Building (manlift entry area): There was a dust collector system located in the sub-basement area that should not have located inside the building.      b)  Main Building (Penhouse top floor): There was a large bag house located inside of the main building that collected dust from the bins.    On September 12, 2013-  A Bulk sample was collected in the sub-basement area. The sample was classified as explosive. The KsT was 26.37 bar meters per second. The percent of combustible dust was 73%.  AMONG OTHER METHODS, RECOGNIZED AND FEASIBLE MEANS OF ABATEMENT TO CORRECT THIS HAZARD ARE:  1)    RELOCATE THE DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM OUTSIDE THE BUILDING,   2)     RE-DESIGN THE DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM/BAG HOUSE COLLECTORS USING RECOGNIZED AND GENERALLY ACCEPTED GOOD ENGINEERING PRACTICES  (RAGAGEP) SUCH AS, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,      a)     NFPA 68 - Guide for Venting of Deflagrations     b)     NFPA 69 - Standard on Explosion Prevention Systems     c)     NFPA 654- Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing and Handling Combustible Particulate Solids

Issued

2014-01-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-02-27 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3000.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(2)(i): An employer may provide respirators at the request of employees or permit employees to use their own respirators, if the employer determines that such respirator use will not in itself create a hazard. If the employer determines that any voluntary respirator use is permissible, the employer shall provide the respirator users with the information contained in Appendix D to this section ("Information for Employees Using Respirators When Not Required Under the Standard"); and  (a) At MFA, Inc.'s Feed Mill in Aurora:  Employees were voluntarily wearing N95 respirators while working in areas where there was a potential for high concentration of total and respirable dust. Employees were not given the Appendix D.

Issued

2014-01-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-02-27 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $6000.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(c)(1): The employer did not evaluate the workplace to determine if any spaces were permit-required confined spaces:  (a) At MFA, Inc. - Loading Area: The employer failed to evaluate and identify the enclosed pit as a permit-required confined space. Maintenance employees were exposed to caught-by, electric shocks and atmmospheric hazards during maintenaince and cleaning activities inside the pit.

Issued

2014-01-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-02-27 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(c)(2): The employer did not inform exposed employees, by posting danger signs or by any other equally effective means, of the existence and location of and the danger posed by the permit spaces:  (a) At MFA, Inc. - Loading Area: The employer failed to evaluate and identify the enclosed pit as a permit-required confined space. Maintenance employees were exposed to caught-by, electric shocks and atmospheric hazards when entering the pit to perform maintenance and cleaning activities.   A sign reading DANGER-PERMIT-REQUIRED CONFINED SPACE, DO NOT ENTER or a sign with other similar language was not used to identify each permit-required confined space.

Issued

2014-01-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-03-12 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $7000.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(d)(1): Chemical manufacturers and importers shall evaluate chemicals produced in their workplaces or imported by them to classify the chemicals in accordance with this section. For each chemical, the chemical manufacturer or importer shall determine the hazard classes, and, where appropriate, the category of each class that apply to the chemical being classified. Employers are not required to classify chemicals unless they choose not to rely on the classification performed by the chemical manufacturer or importer for the chemical to satisfy this requirement.  (a) MFA, Inc.- Throughout the facility: The employer failed to classify the grain dust as "combustible dust hazard."   Employees were not aware of the combustible dust hazards present in the bag house and in the dust collection system located inside the building.

Issued

2014-01-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-02-27 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6)(ii): Except as provided in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(7) and 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(8), the employer did not ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace was labeled, tagged or marked with the product identifier and words, pictures, symbols, or combination thereof, which provide at least general information regarding the hazards of the chemicals and which, in conjunction with the other information immediately available to employees under the hazard communication program, would provide employees with the specific information regarding the physical and health hazards of the hazardous chemical  (a) At MFA Inc. , throughout the facility:  The employer failed to ilabeled, tagged or marked with the product identifier for each hazardous chemicals in the following areas: tanks, in the workplace.      1)  Bag house area- Combustible dust was not labeled to inform employees on the fire, deflagration and explosion hazards.      2)  Collection dust system located inside the building was not labeled to inform employees of the fire, deflagration and explosion hazards in the work areas.      3) Tanks containing acids an other hazardous chemicals were not labeled.