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 employmnent 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 explosion hazards connected to thermal spraying operations: a) Robot Room - Thermal spraying operations in this room created an undetermined build-up of flammable gases (fuel gases, oxygen and hydrogen), while ignition sources were present such as non-explosion-proof electrical equipment. b) Coating Shop, Spindle Number Four (4) - A shop-made plywood enclosure around this high temperature thermal spray operation created a fire hazard. Among other methods, some feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct these hazards are to install interlocks to ensure spraying equipment will not work without adequate ventilation, to install monitoring and/or alarm equipment to detect the presence of gas build-ups, to provide appropriate special fire extinguishers as needed, to follow the recommendations of the equipment manufacturers, to remove combustible wooden enclosures or line them with noncombustible materials, to implement specific written procedures in which employee operators are thoroughly trained, and/or to initiate a periodic inspection program which includes annual leak checks. All operations should be in accordance with ANSI/AWS Z49.1. Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, the date and method of abatement, and state that employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.