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 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 condition(s) listed below: Maple Cooperative Gin, Highway 596, Maple, TX. For the period of time up to and including 12/07/05, employees were not protected from electrical hazards due to the following condition: a) Conduit connected to a motor on the module feeder was not complete/continuous in that the end was pulled out of the connector to the junction box, thereby allowing the conductors to be unprotected. b) Conduit connected to a motor driving the mote fan was not complete/continuous in that the end was pulled out of the connector to the junction box, thereby allowing the conductors to be unprotected. c) An electrical enclosure containing a 3 phase breaker along the west wall was not sealed, thus permitting combustible cotton lint to accumulate on the circuit breaker. Under the National Electric Code (NEC 2005), Article 547.5(D) states "All electrical wiring and equipment subject to physical damage shall be protected." Under the National Electric Code (NEC 2005), Article 547.5(C)(1) states "Equipment enclosures, boxes, conduit bodies, and fittings installed in areas of buildings where excessive dust may be present shall be designed to minimize the entrance of dust and shall have not openings (such as holes for attachment screws) through which dust could enter the enclosure. One feasible and acceptable abatement method would be to ensure all electrical equipment is installed / maintained in accordance with Article 547 of the National Electric Code. "Pursuant to 29 CFR 1903.19(d), the employer must provide documentation that this violation has been abated within 10 calendar days after the abatement date."ent