Inspection Detail

Case Status: CLOSED

Inspection: 1400326.015 - Berman Bros. Iron & Metal Co., Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Birmingham Area Office

Inspection Nr: 1400326.015

Report ID: 0418300

Date Opened: 05/08/2019

Site Address:
Berman Bros. Iron & Metal Co., Inc.
616 33rd Pl N
Birmingham, AL 35202

Mailing Address:
3230 Messer Airport Highway, Birmingham, AL 35222

Union Status: Union

SIC:

NAICS: 331314/Secondary Smelting and Alloying of Aluminum

Inspection Type: Referral

Scope: Partial

Advanced Notice: N

Ownership: Private

Safety/Health: Safety

Close Conference: 05/08/2019

Emphasis:

Case Closed: 12/02/2019

Related Activity
Type	Activity Nr	Safety	Health
Referral	1451353	Yes

Case Status: CLOSED

Violation Summary
Violations/Penalties	Serious	Willful	Repeat	Other	Unclass	Total
Initial Violations	1					1
Current Violations	1					1
Initial Penalty	$8,354	$0	$0	$0	$0	$8,354
Current Penalty	$5,848	$0	$0	$0	$0	$5,848
FTA Penalty	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0

Violation Items
#	Citation ID	Citaton Type	Standard Cited	Issuance Date	Abatement Due Date	Current Penalty	Initial Penalty	FTA Penalty	Contest	Latest Event	Note
1.	01001	Serious	5A0001	10/30/2019		$5,848	$8,354	$0		I - Informal Settlement

Investigation Summary

Investigation Nr: 116208.015

Event: 05/02/2019

Employee suffers thermal burns when molten aluminum flashes

At 12:30 a.m. on May 2, 2019, an employee was working was working as a furnace, kiln, and oven operator for a firm that performed secondary smelting and alloying of aluminum. The firm was a combination of a metal service center, scrap metal recycling facility, and custom metal manufacturer and fabricator. The employee was working near the firm's reverberatory furnace #2. He was sitting in a Well Walker machine, waiting for a loader operator to charge a furnace. The furnace flashed, and molten aluminum popped or boiled out of the furnace. This molten aluminum started a flash fire at the Well Walker machine. The employee was trapped inside the Well Walker for three to five minutes. During that time he was exposed to excessive heat. He suffered thermal burns to his head, neck, arms, back, and right leg. He was burned over approximately 30 percent of his body. He was hospitalized for two or more days. He was not struck by molten metal.

Keywords: Aluminum Processing, Arm, Back, Burn, Elderly, Foundry, Head, Heat, Kiln, Leg, Melting Furnace, Molten Metal, Neck, Oven, Skin

Investigated Inspection
#	Inspection	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation
1	1400326.015	73	M	Hospitalized injury		Furnace, kiln and oven operators

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