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: Employees in the Mill Room were exposed to fire and explosion hazards due to inadequate equipment, controls, work practices, and maintenance of the wood processing, handling, and disposal equipment. Employees were exposed to the hazards due to: a) Deficient fire partitions between the wood processing area and the adjacent areas. Fire partitions (walls) had openings that were not protected by fire doors and explosion venting. NFPA 664 2-2.3 and 2-3.1; b) In the Mill Room and the Dust Hopper Area employees were exposed to fire and explosion hazards due to the lack of explosion venting or an explosion suppression system. NFPA 664 3-1.2; c) In the Mill Room and the Wet Room employees were exposed to fire and explosion hazards due to large quantities of finely divided wood dust in and on equipment, motors, surfaces, and floors and the employer did not perform housekeeping at sufficient intervals to control the accumulation of the wood dust. NFPA 664 4-1.1; d) Employees in the Mill Room and the Wet Room were exposed to fire and explosion hazards due to the dust collector that was located in the Wet Room that was not equipped with explosion venting or an explosion suppression system. NFPA 664 8-2.2; e) In the Mill Room employees were exposed to fire and explosion hazards due to the lack of dust collection on the Radial Saws, Band Saws, Chop Saws, the Bell Machine, Cross Cut Saws, and the Notcher. NFPA 664 8-2.3; f) In the Mill Room employees were exposed to fire and explosion hazards due to the fact that the employer did not ensure that the rate of ventilation was sufficient to control or capture the wood dust and cause them to be carried to the dust collector. NFPA 664 8-2.4.3; g) In the Wet Room the dust bin was not constructed to be dust-tight, did not have chokes to prevent explosion propagation, and was not equipped with explosion relief. NFPA 664 8-3.6; h) In the Mill Room filtered air was recirculated from the collection system into the work area and system was not fitted with spark detectors, abort dampers, or other flame diverter actuated by a spark detector and suppression system. NFPA 664 8-4; i) Employees in the Mill Room were exposed to fire and explosion hazards due to the fact that the chipper/pulverizer was located in the same room. NFPA 664 10-2.1; j) Employees in the Mill Room were exposed to fire and explosion hazards due to the lack of chocks, rotary valves, or explosion suppression systems to prevent flame propagation through the conveying system. NFPA 664 10-3; k) Employees in the Mill Room were exposed to fire and explosion hazards due to the lack of magnetic separators installed ahead of the chipper/pulverizer to prevent metal from entering the machine. NFPA 664 10-4.3; and, l) Employees int he Mill Room and the Wet Room were exposed to fire and explosion hazards due to the enclosures, hoods, ducts, and bins were not constructed to be dusttight. NFPA 664 10-5. Among other methods, a feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is: 1. Install, utilize, and maintain a dust collection system designed in accordance with NFPA 664 for protection against fire and explosion; or, 2. Update the existing system to be in accordance with NFPA 664. Disclaimers: a. The employer is not limited to the abatement methods suggested by OSHA; b. The methods explained are general and may not be effective in all cases; and, c. The employer is responsible for selecting and carrying out an effective abatement method.