Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: STRUCK BY

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 being struck by the whipping action of the hose used during sandblasting operations, and to the hazard of un- controlled dust being directed towards the employees: a) At Royster Phosphates, Inc., during sandblasting operations, at the Granulator Fan, at the DAP plant, the nozzle was not equipped with an operating valve which must be held open manually. Two employees were involved in the operation. One was engaged in holding the nozzle at the blasting area, and the other was removed from the blasting area and operating the dead man controls. Among other methods one feasible and acceptable method to correct this hazard is to equip the blast cleaning nozzle with an operating valve (dead man control), which must be held open annually. Reference is made to paragraph 9.3 of American National standard, ANSI 7 9.4 - 1985, entitled Ventilation and Safe Practices of Abrasive Blasting Operations.