OSHA Inspection: EXCELSIOR WOOD PRODUCTS, LLC

Issued

2015-08-19 00:00:00

Abate by

2016-07-15 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2800.00 · Current $2100.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): 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 an ST-1 combustible wood dust (Kst = 51.39 bm/s with a pressure ratio of 8.71):      The DISA NOSO dust collector system and associated components, including bulk sawdust storage bin, was not designed, installed, and maintained to protect employees from fire and explosion hazards, in that:                    (a)   Main plant and vat room  On or prior to 5/7/15, the employer did not ensure that all ductwork is metallic and minimizes use of flexible ducting. Lengths of plastic or rubber ductwork were in use in the vat room and the main plant.  Use of non-conductive or ungrounded ductwork creates static electricity ignition hazards.  Excessive use of flexible ductwork creates obstructions that may affect the efficiency of the dust collection system and cause dust to build up in the duct.       (b)   Main plant and vat room  On or prior to 5/7/15, the employer did not bond and ground ductwork for the dust collection system.  Continuity of grounding and bonding for all metal ductwork could not be determined.  Ungrounded ductwork creates static electricity ignition hazards.      (c)   Main plant and vat room  On or prior to 5/7/15, ductwork was not equipped with a spark detection and extinguishing system installed between the last collection point and the dust collector unit.  The system was used to collect wood dust from processes using recycled wood and tramp metal fragments were present in the dust stream.  Ignition sources included static electricity and tramp metal.      (d)   Vat room  On or prior to 5/7/15, the dust collector and wood dust storage bin was located inside a room adjacent to the main plant.  Construction of this room did not allow for proper explosion or deflagration venting.         (e)   Main plant, dust collector makeup air returns  On or prior to 5/7/15, fire dampers or other controls were not installed to prevent a flame front or explosion from propagating through the return air ductwork and into the main plant, creating a fire or secondary dust explosion hazard.        (f)    Vat room  On or prior to 5/7/15, the wood dust storage bin was not equipped with deflagration relief venting and explosion suppression.  Ignition sources included mechanical, electrical, static, and tramp metal.       (g)   Briquette and vat room  On or prior to 5/7/15, deflagration relief panels at the side of the Noso Disa bag house were located against the wall of the room where they were blocked, preventing proper relief in a baghouse explosion.         (h)   Vat room  On or prior to 5/7/15, dust collector discharge to the storage bin was not designed to minimize the formation of dust clouds, minimize leaks, and did not contain a choke to prevent explosion propagation to the dust collector.  Ignition sources included mechanical, electrical, static, and tramp metal.

Issued

2015-08-19 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1500.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(a)(1): All places of employment, passageways, storerooms or service rooms were not kept clean and orderly or in a sanitary condition:    (a)  Vat/briquette room:  On or prior to 5/7/15, floors, structural supports, pipes, ductwork and equipment were not kept free of hazardous accumulation of explosive combustible dust.