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

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 the hazard of water accumulation in areas provided to receive molten metal runouts or spills: (a) On April 30, 1992, the pit below Stip Cast Line #2 in the Strip Casting Shop was not maintained in a dry condition beneath the holding furnace. This condition exposed employ- ees to the hazards potentially caused by a metal spill and resulting explosive conversion of the water to steam. (See American National Standard for Safety Requirements for Melting and Pouring of Metals in the Metalcasting Industry, A.N.S.I. Z241.2-1989, Section 5.2.2.2.) Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is the elminiation and/or increased control of the potential sources of cooling water leakage into the Strip Cast pits, combined with frequent and regular observation of pit conditions.