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 combustible meat bone meal (MBM) particulate fire, deflagration, and explosion hazards while working at or near the protein powder system equipment consisting of indoor separating screens, indoor hammermill, outdoor bucket elevator legs, and connecting screw conveyors: a) On or about February 8, 2023, at a facility located at 2099 Badgerland Drive in Green Bay, WI - The indoor separating screens and associated screw auger conveying system presented fire hazards to indoor workers (i.e., smoke, toxic gases, flames) from the ignition of combustible MBM from self-heating or internal screw auger friction-based sources of ignition (i.e., misaligned internal rotating components, overheated internal rotated components, etc.). The indoor separating screens process equipment have a history of ignition. The separating screens lacked a means of fire protection (detection and extinguishment) to protect building occupants from fire hazards described above. b) On or about February 8, 2023, at a facility located at 2099 Badgerland Drive in Green Bay, WI - The indoor hammermill and downstream screw auger conveying system presented fire hazards to indoor workers (i.e., smoke, toxic gases, flames) from the ignition of combustible MBM from internal hammermill friction-based sources of ignition (i.e., introduction of foreign materials, misaligned internal rotating components, overheated internal rotated components, etc.) and self-heating. The indoor hammermill and downstream process equipment have a history of ignition. The hammermill lacked a means of fire protection (detection, shutdown, and extinguishment) to protect building occupants from fire hazards described above. c) On or about February 8, 2023, at a facility located at 2099 Badgerland Drive in Green Bay, WI - The outdoor bucket elevator legs and downstream silos presented fire hazards and potential deflagration and explosion hazards to outdoor workers from the ignition of combustible MBM from internal bucket elevator leg friction-based sources of ignition (i.e., introduction of foreign materials, misaligned belts, overheated bearings, blockages, etc.) and self-heating. The outdoor bucket elevator legs and silos have a history of ignition. The bucket elevator legs lacked means of ignition source protection (detection, alarms, and interlocks) to protect outdoor workers from fire, deflagration, and explosion hazards in the bucket elevator legs and connected silos. The outdoor bucket elevator legs lacked means of explosion and deflagration propagation protection. The outdoor silos lacked means of explosion protection.