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Violation Detail
Standard Cited: 5A0001 OSH Act General Duty Paragraph
Inspection Nr: 107012288
Citation: 01001
Citation Type: Serious
Abatement Status: X
Initial Penalty: $4,500.00
Current Penalty: $4,500.00
Issuance Date: 03/30/1994
Nr Instances: 1
Nr Exposed: 4
Abatement Date: 05/02/1994
Gravity: 10
Report ID: 0418600
Contest Date: 04/18/1994
Final Order: 10/18/1994
Related Event Code (REC): A
Emphasis:
| Type | Latest Event | Event Date | Penalty | Abatement Due Date | Citation Type | Failure to Abate Inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penalty | F: Formal Settlement | 10/18/1994 | $4,500.00 | 05/02/1994 | Serious | |
| Penalty | Z: Issued | 03/30/1994 | $4,500.00 | 05/02/1994 | Serious |
Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: LOCKOUT
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 flying coal debris, steel parts and/or falls from elevation. In that, on or about 1/10/94, four (4) employees were engaged in a process of unchoking/unjamming the gate valve on a coal chute feeding the coal pulverizer. Employees routinely use a host of manual methods to unchoke/unjam the gate valve. When these methods fail to unchoke/unjam the gate valve, compressed air is activated via a pushbutton type switch to energize an "air cannon" which introduces compressed air a approximately 100 psi into the steel coal chute to unchoke/unjam the gate valve and employees did not implement and management did not require a lockout/tagout procedure during this unchoking/unjamming procedure. An employee was fatally injured when this "air cannon" was activated while he was still positioned on a stepladder at the coal chute end plate or opening. Among others, several feasible and acceptable methods to correct/abate this hazard are as follows: 1. An initial survey was not made to identify all energy sources and related exposures to determine if machines, or equipment and systems can be isolated. Such as but not limited to pneumatic energy sources located at the coal feed chutes. Reference paragraph 4.1, American National Standard Institute, Z244.11982. 2. All authorized individuals did not receive training in recognition of the applicable hazardous energy sources and in adequate methods and means for their isolation. Such as but not limited to pneumatic energy sources. Reference paragraph 3.3.3, American National Institute, Z244.11982. 3. The employer had not certified that the periodic inspection of the energy control procedures had been performed. Reference paragraph 3.2.2, American National Standard Institute, Z244.11982.