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 rapidly expanding steam vapor/molten metal explosion On or about November 29, 1994, and for at least the five (5) year period prior to that date, in the Magnesium Melt Room the employer did not make sure that only dry equipment was available for use when working with molten magnesium. Equipment was returned from repair and cleaning without the proper preparation to make sure that it was dry prior to being placed in the magnesium melting pots. AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT METHOD TO CORRECT THIS HAZARD IS ..... Provide the Magnesium Melt Crew and others in the area when equipment,scrap, and other additives are being introduced into the molten metal with remote handling equipment so that when it is necessary to introduce such materials into the molten metal this can be accomplished from a safe distance behind protective barriers. Provide the Magnesium Caster, whose job it is to stand at the casting mold and regulate the continuous casting of the magnesium, controls located behind a protective barrier. The protective barrier must have a reinforced glass window so that the Caster can observe the operation clearly as he controls the pour. Written procedures to make sure the equipment is dry and clean have not been consistently effective enough in the past to protect the employees life and safety as evidenced by numerous life-threatening spills, incidents, and explosions; however these procedures shall remain fully in effect since the potential explosions such as occurred on 11-29-95 are powerful enough to cause great destruction and injure employees out of the immediate area not protected by the barriers described above. ABATEMENT NORMALLY WILL BE MULTISTEP AS FOLLOWS: STEP 1: EFFECTIVE INTERIM PROTECTIVE MEASURES SHALL BE PROVIDED AND USED BY EXPOSED EMPLOYEES UNTIL FEASIBLE ENGINEERING CONTROLS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED. A WRITTEN PLAN DESCRIBING THE INTERIM PROTECTIVE MEASURES SHALL BE PREPARED IN DETAIL AND SUBMITTED TO THIS OFFICE WITHIN ONE WEEK OF RECEIPT OF THIS CITATION. STEP 2: SUBMIT TO THE AREA DIRECTOR A WRITTEN, DETAILED PLAN OF ABATEMENT OUTLINING A SCHEDULE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ENGINEERING MEASURES TO CONTROL EMPLOYEE EXPOSURE TO HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS AS REFERENCED IN THIS CITATION. THIS PLAN SHALL INCLUDE, AT A MINIMUM, TARGET DATES FOR THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS WHICH MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH THE ABATEMENT DATES REQUIRED BY THIS CITATION: (1)EVALUATION OF ENGINEERING CONTROL OPTIONS;(2)SELECTION OF OPTIMUM CONTROL METHODS AND COMPLETION OF DESIGN; (3)PROCUREMENT, INSTALLATION AND OPERATION OF SELECTED CONTROL MEASURES; AND (4)TESTING AND ACCEPTANCE OR MODIFICATION/REDESIGN OF CONTROLS NOTE:ALL PROPOSED CONTROL MEASURES SHALL BE APPROVED FOR EACH PARTICULAR USE BY A COMPETENT SAFETY PROFESSIONAL OR OTHER TECHNICALLY QUALIFIED PERSON. Thirty-(30) DAY PROGRESS REPORTS ARE REQUIRED DURING THE ABATEMENT PERIOD. STEP 3: ABATEMENT SHALL HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FEASIBLE ENGINEERING AND/OR ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS UPON VERIFICATION OF THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN ACHIEVING COMPLIANCE. STEP 1 WEEK STEP 2 60 DAYS STEP 3 120 DAYS