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

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act: 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 combustible aluminum/magnesium dust fires, deflagration, and explosion hazards while working at or near the wet-type dust collection system and upstream belt sanding operation. The dust collection system was capable of being operated in a hazardous manner including operation with too low and too high water levels. The belt sanding operation was capable of being operated without the dust collector in a functional status Air Craft Wheels, LLC located at 1158 Center Rd, Avon Ohio: On or about December 22, 2021 the employer did not operate the belt sanding operation and associated wet-type dust collection system in a manner to protect employees from the combustible aluminum/magnesium dust fire, deflagration, and explosion hazards associated with the conditions of: 1) Potential for operation of the wet-type dust collector with too low a water level or too high a water level such that wet capture of combustible metal dust particulate is not maintained, and that dry combustible dust is allowed to enter and concentrate in the collector. 2) Potential for operation of the belt sanding operation without a functional dust collector such as dust collector fan underperformance (too low a flow), dust collector failure, dust collector activated too late, dust collector not activated, and that dry combustible dust accumulates in or near the intake hood of the dust collection system. The wet-type dust collection system was operated without a means to ensure the system will shut down the belt sander if the wet collector system malfunctions, prevent the start of the belt sander until the wet collector are fully operational, and prevent operation of the wet collector unless adequate water tank capacity and water supply is maintained.