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 engaged in cupola bottom dropping operations and others working in the vicinity of the bottom drop were exposed to the hazards of explosions. a) Employees working in the area of #2 cupola during bottom dropping operations were exposed to injuries from a hot cupola bottom coming into contact with water/moisture as the bottom was droppedresulting in a violent explosion on or about 3/22/90. Among other methods a feasilbe and acceptable method to correct the hazard is to implement and enforce a cold bottom dropping technique comforming to the safety requirements as outlined in theAmerican Foundrymen's Society Cupola Handbook 1985 edition, page 390 subject entitled Cold Bottom Drop Technique containing but not limited to the following procedures: Cold Bottom-Drop Technique 1) Drain the cupola per usual practice. 2) Introduce quench water onto the coke bed through the charge-door opening with a 1/2 to 1 inch hose until evidence of water soaking through the bottom is indicated. 3) Don't attempt to get the sand bottom down for a minimum of 3 hours, so that any molten iron will have solidified. 4) When bottom doors are dropped the sand bottom usually remainsintact and in place until punched out; and 5) A large hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder with pointed-tip shaft extension, mounted on heavy base, is positioned underneath the cupola and used to punch out the cold mass of sand, unburned bed coke, etc., Or other procedures could be initiated which would assure that all molten metal has been drained from the well and the area beneath the cupola suitably dry prior to dropping the bottom.