Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: HEAT

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) The employer did not protect employees from the recognized hazard of the unexpected energization or start-up of electric and gas furnaces while maintenance work was being done on the electric heating element in the electric furnace, the gas furnace, or the gas piping system. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is to establish and enforce and adequate plant lockout procedure such as that stipulated by ANSI Z244.1-1982, Section 4 and 5, American National Standard of Minimum Safety Requirements for Lockout/Tagout of Energy Sources for Personnel Protection. Essential elements of the lockout procedures would include: 1) Open and lockout the main power disconnect for the machine and bleed for any residual energy; 2) Provide each potentially exposed employee working in the area with separate lock and key to be placed on the lockout means; 3) Establish a written lockout policy, including procedures to be followed and training for all affected employees, both maintenance and operational crews; 4) Periodically evaluate the program and strictly enforce all of its provisions.