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

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): 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 flash fire from the ignition of a suspended cloud of combustible titanium metal powder when emptying the metal powder from a non-metallic duct. a) On or about 8/7/2018, in the Plasma Spray Area, employees were exposed to the hazard of flash fire from the ignition of suspended combustible titanium powder dust when emptying titanium powder collected in a PVC pressure relief pipe connected to a plasma spraying chamber. Employees removed titanium dust from the inside of the PVC duct via gravity unloading and without means to control for static electric discharge from the human body (i.e. no personnel bonding/grounding) and without means to control for dispersions of dust that produce dust clouds. In addition, the duct itself was constructed of a non-conductive material.