OSHA Inspection: VIXEN HILL MANUFACTURING

Issued

Feb 7, 2020

Abate by

Mar 12, 2020

Penalty

Initial $3,856 · Current $2,699 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 due to deficient design and/or implementation of preventive and/or protective measures in its dust collection system and related equipment, such as the following:    a) Shutter Department, Dust Collector Room - Dust collection system consisting of Donaldson Torit Cyclone Model 36-30   b) Assembly Department - Dust collection system consisting of Dixie Air System Bag House Dust Collector.   c) Mill Department - Dust collection system consisting of Donaldson Torit Modular Pulse Jet Tube House Dust Collector Model MJT 1900.      On or about August 7, 2019 employees were exposed to fire hazard from explosion and deflagration resulting from the ignition of the contents of the dust collection system in the Shutter Department, in that the employer did not conduct the following to ensure, the dust collection systems, machinery and/or equipment met the requirements specified in National Fire Protection Association/NFPA 652 and NFPA 664:      REFERENCE: National Fire Protection Association/NFPA 652 Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust/2016 Edition Chapters 5 and 8; Hazard Identification/Hazard Management: Mitigation and Prevention.  Sections including, but not limited to:        Section 5.1  Responsibility - Make a determination of the potentially combustible dust as to combustibility or capability of exploding.         Section 8.6.1.1 - Workplace Hazard Assessment - Conduct a hazard assessment for personal protective equipment - fire resistant garments.      REFERENCE: National Fire Protection Association/NFPA 664 Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Explosions in Wood Processing and Woodworking Facilities/2017 Edition Chapters 4, 5, 8 and 10; General Requirements / Performance-Based Design Option / Processes, Operations, and Special Systems / Human Element.  Sections including, but not limited to:     Section 4.7 - Designer and Installer Qualifications - Ensure dust collection system was designed by or installed under the supervision of a qualified engineer.       Section 5.1.5  Documentation Requirements - Ensure all aspects of the design were documented.       Section 8.2.2.3.3* - Ducts with a Deflagration Hazard - requires that ducts with deflagration hazards shall be designed, constructed and installed so that the:   1.     Duct is strong enough to contain deflagration, or   2.     Duct is provided with approved deflagration suppression and have a design strength exceeding the reduced deflagration pressure, or   3.     Duct is provided with deflagration relief vents ducted to the outdoors and have a design strength exceeding the reduced deflagration pressure, or   4.     Duct is provided with relief vents that exhaust thru flame quenching devices and have a design strength exceeding the reduced deflagration pressure.       Section 10.4 - Inspection and Maintenance - requires that an inspection, testing, and maintenance program be developed and implemented to ensure that the fire and explosion protection systems and related process controls and equipment perform as designed.     Section 10.5.1 - Records Retention - Maintain records such as but not limited to drawings and supporting documents relating to initial installation/purchase of equipment, routine equipment inspections, testing and repair history, fire and safety inspections or audit reports, service records and manufactures data sheets.         Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable means of abatement would be to comply with the guidelines outlined in the National Fire Protection Association NFPA 652 and NFPA 664 referenced above.

Issued

Feb 7, 2020

Abate by

Feb 27, 2020

Penalty

Initial $2,313 · Current $1,619 Reduced

Hazardous substances W102

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1): A written respiratory protection program that included the provisions in 29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1)(i) - (ix) with worksite specific procedures was not established and implemented for required respirator use:    a. Shutter Department - The employer did not establish and implement a written respiratory program. The employer required employees, who worked with woodworking equipment, to wear 3M Particulate N95 filtering facepiece respirators. Observed On or About August 08, 2019

Issued

Feb 7, 2020

Abate by

Feb 27, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances W102

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1): The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace:  a. Shutter Department - The employer did not ensure that employees were medically evaluated to determine their fitness to wear their respirators.   The employer required employees, who worked with woodworking equipment, to wear air purifying, half mask 3M Particulate N95 filtering facepiece respirators. Observed On or About August 08, 2019

Issued

Feb 7, 2020

Abate by

Feb 27, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances W102

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(2): Employee(s) using a tight-fitting facepiece respirator were not annually fit tested:  a. Shutter Department - The employer did not ensure that employees were fit-tested for their negative pressure respirators prior to initial use of these respirators.   The employer required employees, who worked with woodworking equipment, to wear air purifying, half mask 3M Particulate N95 filtering facepiece respirators. Observed On or About August 08, 2019

Issued

Feb 7, 2020

Abate by

Feb 27, 2020

Penalty

Initial $3,084 · Current $2,159 Reduced

Hazardous substances W102

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): The employer did not develop, implement, and/or maintain at the workplace a written hazard communication program which describes how the criteria specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) will be met:      a. Facility - The employer did not develop, implement, and maintain at each workplace, a written hazard communication program. Employees working with cedar wood were exposed to combustible dust hazards, to include but not limited to deflagration and explosion. Observed On or About August 08, 2019

Issued

Feb 7, 2020

Abate by

Feb 27, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances W102

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(1): Employers did not have a safety data sheet in the workplace for each hazardous chemical which they use:  a.  Facility - The employer did not have a safety data sheet for Western Red Cedar wood.  Employees were exposed to a combustible dust related hazrds. Observed On or About August 8, 2019

Issued

Feb 7, 2020

Abate by

Feb 27, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances W102

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(3)(ii): Employee training did not include the physical and health hazards of the chemicals in the work area:  a.  Facility - The employer did not provide employees with specific training on the specific physical hazards associated with combustible wood dust.  Employees were potentially exposed to fire and explosion hazards leading to burns and bone fracture. Observed On or About August 8, 2019