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

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 a fire hazard from handling flammable liquids where there were sources of ignition: a)In the automotive repair area, employees were exposed to a fire hazard from handling gasoline and removing and handling fuel tanks containing Class I flammable gasoline in the vicinity of a natural gas furnace. On 3/2/98, an employee was fatally injured by fire when a fuel tank which had been removed tipped over spilling gasoline onto the floor within 8 feet of the gas furnace. Among other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct this hazard is to comply with NFPA 88B, Standard for Repair Garages, which includes, but is not limited to, the following: 1)Install heating equipment in a detached building or room; 2)Separate heating equipment from repair areas by walls or partitions and floor or floor-ceiling assemblies that are constructed so as to prohibit the transmission of vapors and having a fire resistance rating of not less than 1 hour, with no openings in the wall separating the repair area within 8 feet of the floor; 3)Ensure that all wall penetrations leading to the heating equipment are firestopped; 4)Ensure that air for combustion purposes of the heating equipment is obtained from outside the building; 5)Use an approved portable pump and storage tank to drain fuel from the fuel tank prior to performing work; 6)Install approved automatic sprinkler equipment in conformance with NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems; 7)Ensure all wiring and equipment comply with the NFPA 70, National Electrical Code; and 8)Prohibit smoking except in safe designated areas.