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 the hazard of being burned by materials expelled from open cooker doors: (a) On or about 04/09/04 workers were burned from 265 degree F. materials that were expelled from #1 cooker during unloading operations. This cooker is one of ten, located in the rendering area. A bolt connecting an actuator to the butterfly vent valve had failed causing the valve not to respond to controls. The cooker had been running hotter and steaming more then usual for at least a day before the accident. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is to: 1. Develop and implement written operating procedures for all cookers which shall, at a minimum, address normal and emergency operations, inspection of vent piping and valves, and training of all affected management, supervisory and operating personnel on safe operation of the cookers. The best "safety device" is and always has been a well trained operator. 2. Add pressure gauges to the cookers to make certain there is no pressure inside of the cooker before the door is opened. Without the gauges it is difficult for an operator to know if in fact any internal pressure has been built up inside the vessel.