OSHA Inspection: TAMPA ELECTRIC COMPANY

Issued

Dec 27, 2017

Abate by

Jan 12, 2018

Penalty

Initial $12,675 · Current $12,675

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(a): Protective equipment was not used when necessary whenever hazards capable of causing injury and impairment were encountered:   a) For the work conducted around and on slag tanks, on or about June 29, 2017, appropriate personal protective equipment, such as but not limited to protective equipment for the head, feet, arms and body, was not used to protect employees' skin from thermal burns.

Issued

Dec 27, 2017

Abate by

Jan 12, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.133(a)(1): The employer did not ensure that each affected employee uses appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to eye or face hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation:  a) For the work conducted around and on slag tanks, on or about June 29, 2017, appropriate face protection was not selected to protect employees from thermal burns. Employees were exposed to high temperature slag while working at the bottom of a slag tank.

Issued

Dec 27, 2017

Abate by

Jan 12, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.138(a): The employer did not select and require employee(s) to use appropriate hand protection when employees' hands were exposed to hazards such as those from skin absorption of harmful substances; severe cuts or lacerations; severe abrasion; punctures; chemical burns; thermal burns; and harmful temperature extremes:  a) For the work conducted around and on slag tanks on or about June 29, 2017, appropriate hand protection was not selected to protect employees from thermal burns. Employees were exposed to high temperature slag while working at the bottom of a slag tank.

Issued

Dec 27, 2017

Abate by

Jan 22, 2018

Penalty

Initial $126,749 · Current $126,749

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 burn and/or struck by hazards associated with molten slag being released from the slag tank:  a) At the slag tank 2A, on or about June 29, 2017, employees at/near the bottom of slag tank 2A working to clear slag tank clogging during regular operations were exposed to steam and molten slag being released from the slag tank.  - The neck/tap hole of the slag tank had been clogged and/or partially clogged for 13 hours. Per the employer's Slag Tank Water Blasting Procedure the unit should have been taken off (shut down) after the last slag tap closed and was unable to be reopened within 6 to 8 hours.  - Employer safe work procedures did not address a simultaneous blockage at the neck/tap hole and at the dog house gate at the bottom of the tank.  A simultaneous blockage occurred on or about June 29, 2017.  - During that time, the operational load in megawatts was run at full load/power and not reduced as per the employer's Slag Tank Water Blasting Procedure.

Issued

Dec 27, 2017

Abate by

Jan 31, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.269(d)(2)(iii): Procedures were not developed, documented, and used for the control of potentially hazardous energy covered by paragraph (d) of this section:  a) The employer did not develop, document, and implement specific LOTO procedures for shutting down the furnace and clearing clogs in the slag tanks, on or about June 29, 2017.