OSHA Inspection: WESTERN ACCEPTANCE LLC.

Issued

Dec 6, 2019

Abate by

Mar 10, 2020

Penalty

Initial $2,273 · Current $1,363 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.106(h)(7)(i)(a):  Precautions shall be taken to prevent the ignition of flammable vapors.  Sources of ignition include but are not limited to open flames; lightning; smoking; cutting and welding; hot surfaces; frictional heat; static, electrical, and mechanical sparks; spontaneous ignition, including heat-producing chemical reactions; and radiant heat:    (a)  On or about July 30, 2019, and at times prior, employees of Western Acceptance LLC were exposed to flash fire hazards in that ethanol vapors were not prevented from escaping containers during processing in the lab used by ADM Labs LLC.  Processing included but was not limited to, open-top transfers of denatured alcohol solutions and removal of ethanol from rotary evaporators by way of open gravity transfer.  Measures were not taken to ensure sparks were prevented in the areas where processing occurred such as by using non-static producing buckets, bonding the containers during transfers, and ensuring only explosion proof equipment was used in the area.  The electrical installations including outlets, switches, panel boxes, and conduit were not explosion proof, nor was the box fan used in the area.      Abatement Note:  Abatement certification is required for this item (see enclosed "Certification of Corrective Action Worksheet").

Issued

Dec 6, 2019

Abate by

Jan 10, 2020

Penalty

Initial $3,031 · Current $1,818 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(c)(2)(iv):  Power-operated industrial trucks designated as DY, EE, or EX were not used in locations where volatile flammable liquids or flammable gases were handled, processed or used, but in which the hazardous liquids, vapors or gases were normally confined within closed containers or closed systems from which they could have escaped only in case of accidental rupture or breakdown of such containers or systems, or in the case of abnormal operation of equipment:    (a)  On or about August 18, 2019, and at times prior, employees were exposed to flash fire hazards from the Toyota Electric Forklift Truck, Model SFBDLI25 which is rated E.  The forklift was used by ADM Labs LLC, and employees of Western Acceptance, to transport containers of ethanol, and was operated in areas where ethanol vapors were known to be released.       Abatement Note:  Abatement certification is required for this item (see enclosed "Certification of Corrective Action Worksheet").

Issued

Dec 6, 2019

Abate by

Mar 10, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.307(c)(2)(i): Equipment, wiring methods, and installations of equipment in hazardous (classified) locations were not intrinsically safe, approved for the hazardous (classified) location, or safe for the hazardous (classified) location:  (a) On or about July 30, 2019, and at times prior, employees were exposed to flash fire hazards in that the equipment and electrical installations including outlets, switches, panels, and conduit, in hazardous (classified) locations, were not approved for the hazardous (classified) location. Employees used denatured alcohol (ethanol) in the Cannabidiol (CBD) extraction process in the lab.  An ethanol solution was regularly transferred from open-top buckets to an open-top DrainDroyds allowing vapors in the air during transfer and processing; ethanol was removed from rotary evaporates through a gravity transfer.  These condition exposed employees to a flash fire hazard due to the potential for an ignition source in an area where flammable vapors were, or could have been, present.  Abatement Note:  Abatement certification is required for this item (see enclosed "Certification of Corrective Action Worksheet").