OSHA Inspection: SARTOMER

Issued

Oct 28, 1985

Abate by

Feb 1, 1986

Penalty

Initial $360 · Current $360

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 to employees in that employees were exposed to
a molten mixture of pentaerythritol triacrylate/pentaerythritol
tetracrylate monomer and polymer, benzene and heptane vapors during an
uncontrolled release from a pressure vessel:
a) SR-444 Production  - a molten monomer/polymer mixture of
pentaerythritol triacrylate and pentaerythritol tetracrylate
discharged under pressure from reactor kettle "IRIS" onto an outdoor
walkway. Dermal contact with the reactor contents could cause severe
burns. Vessel contents registered 112 degree on the temperature
indicator immediately preceeding the discharge. Additionally,
pentaerythritol tetracrylate is a severe eye irritant, skin irritant
and allergic sensitizer, 8/28/85.
b) SR-444 Production - 400 (four hundred pounds) of a benzene heptaine
catalyst mizture discharged from reactor kettle "IRIS" into the plant
environment over an unspecified period of time between 10:30 PM on
8/27/85 to 5:30 AM on 8/28/85. Benzene is a recognized carcinogen.
Heptane is a narcotic, flammable organic vapor, 8/28/85.
General Control Methods applicable in these circumstances include but
are not limited to the following:
1) Vent discharges from rupture disk to a safe area.
2) Monitoring of vapors discharged from the rupture disk.
3) Writing standard operating procedures to cover both normal operations
and emergency situations which include recognized critical
temperature and pressure signalling uncontrolled polymerization.
4) Perform engineering study to determine feasible measure of discharge.