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

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 burns from the accidental ignition of natural gas due to improper use of flexible hose connectors providing fuel gas/air mixture to portable die heating burners. PERMANENT MOLD DEPARTMENT: PORTABLE DIE HEATING BURNERS UTILIZING PRESSURIZED NATURAL GAS/AIR MIX WERE CONNECTED TO TWO (2) GAS MIXING MACHINES WITH FLEXIBLE CONNECTORS WHICH HAD THE FOLLOWING RECOGNIZED HAZARDS: a)FLEXIBLE CONNECTIONS WERE IN EXCESS OF MINIMUM PRACTICAL LENGTHS. b) FLEXIBLE CONNECTORS HAD EXTENSIVE PHYSICAL DAMAGE AND HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED FROM SERVICE. c) FLEXIBLE CONNECTIONS WERE NOT CONNECTED TO SUPPLY MANIFOLDS AND BURNERS WITH APPROVED CLAMPS OR CONNECTION DEVICES, d) SHUT OFF VALVES WERE NOT LOCATED WITHIN 6 FEET OF THE EQUIPMENT SERVED BY THE GAS. e) IN SOME INSTANCES, FLEXIBLE CONNECTORS WERE INSTALLED DIRECTLY IN THE BURNER'S FLAME, AND f) APPROVED AUTOMATIC FIRECHECKS WERE NOT INSTALLED UPSTREAM AND AS CLOSE AS PRACTICAL TO BURNER INLETS. AMONG OTHER METHODS ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT METHOD TO CORRECT THESE HAZARDS WOULD BE TO ENSURE THAT ALL NATURAL GAS PIPING AND FLEXIBLE CONNECTION SYSTEMS MEET SPECIFICATIONS SET FORTH BY THE NATIONAL FUEL GAS CODE, ANSI Z223.1- 1996, NFPA 54-1996 OR OTHER NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AUTHORITY.