Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: DUST&FUMES

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 fire and/or aluminum dust explosions in the Stock Preparation Department where a sanding and buffing operation was performed on aluminum stock. The hazards were caused by the following conditions: 1) THE COLLECTION SYSTEM WAS POORLY DESIGNED AND DID NOT MAINTAIN THE REQUIRED VELOCITY TO TRANSPORT THE FINE AND COARSE ALUMINUM DUST PARTICLES. 2) THE DUCTWORK FOR THE SYSTEM HAD UNUSED CAPPED OUTLETS. 3) BOTH THE SANDING AND BUFFING OPERATIONS SHARED THE SAME COMMON DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM AND BOTH THE BUFFING AND SANDING OPERATIONS WERE AT TIMES, PERFORMED AT THE SAME TIME. 4) THE DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM CONSISTED OF THE IMPROPER DRY FABRIC TYPE DUST COLLECTORS. 5) THE DRY-TYPE FABRIC DUST COLLECTORS WERE LOCATED INSIDE THE BUILDING. 6) DUST WAS NOT REMOVED FROM THE DRY COLLECTORS AT LEAST ONCE EACH DAY. AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT METHOD TO CORRECT THESE HAZARDS IS TO PROPERLY DESIGN THE COLLECTION SYSTEM SO ALL DUCTWORK WILL MAINTAIN A VELOCITY OF NOT LESS THAN 4,500 FEET/MINUTE, HAVE NO CAPPED ENDS AND/OR IRREGULARITIES, DESIGN THE COLLECTION SYSTEM SO THE GRINDING AND BUFFING OPERATIONS DI NOT SHARE THE SAME COLLECTION SYSTEM, AND RELOCATE THE DRY-TYPE DUST COLLECTORS OUTSIDE THE BUILDING AWAY FROM EXPOSURE TO WORKERS. INSTITUTE AND ENFORCE A POLICY THAT REQUIRES THE SAFE REMOVAL OF THE DUST FROM THE DRY COLLECTORS ON A DAILY BASIS. IN ADDITION, THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE COLLECTION SYSTEM MANUFACTURER AND THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION STANDARD NUMBER 65 (ALUMINUM PROCESSING AND FINISHING) SHOULD BE CLOSELY FOLLOWED FOR THE INSTALLATION, USE, AND MAINTENANCE OF THE COLLECTION SYSTEM.