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

Section 6(a) of the Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and Health Act: 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 physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to: Seccion 6(a) de la Ley de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo de Puerto Rico: El patrono no proveyo empleo y un sitio de empleo libre de riesgos reconocidos que esten causando o que puedan causar muerte o dano fisico a los empleados, por cuanto empleados estaban expuestos a: At the production area - employees used a portable circular saw to open stainless steel tanks of electric transformers. The tanks of the transformer contains oil. The material safety data sheet of the oil has a warning about cutting containers because might cause fire or explosion. Employess who opened the transformer tanks said that explosions had occurred when they opened the tanks especially those tanks that their internals electric elements were burned. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is to establish a written procedure that describe the steps to be followed when employees open the tanks of electric transformers. Employees assigned to do this task shall be trained about the procedure established to open the transformer tanks. Hazard: Fire and/or explosion. En el area de produccion - empleados usaban una sierra circular portatil para abrir tanques de acero inoxidable de transformadores electricos. Los tanques de los transformadores contienen aceite. La hoja de datos de seguridad del material del aceite tiene una advertecia acerca de cortar envases porque podria causar fuego o explosion. Empleados quienes abrian los tanques dijeron que explosiones habian ocurrido cuando abrian los tanques, en especial aquellos tanques que sus elementos electricos internos estaban quemados. Entre otros metodos, un metodo factible y aceptable para este riesgo es establecer un procedimiento escrito que describa los pasos que deben seguirse cuando un empleado abre los tanques de transformadores electricos. Empleados asignados a hacer esta tarea deben ser adiestrados sobre el procedimiento establecido para abrir tanques de transformadores. Riesgo: Fuego y/o explosion.dores.