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

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 employee(s) in that employees were exposed to the hazard of incompatible chemical storage which would result in the release of hydrogen cyanide gas: a. On or about July 28, 2004, in the chemical storage area, a drum of potassium cyanide and a drum of sodium cyanide were stored adjacent to 55-gallon drums of nitric acid and chromic acid. Inadvertent mixing of potassium cyanide or sodium cyanide with nitric or chromic acid could result in employee exposure to hydrogen cyanide gas. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to correct the hazard is to physically separate cyanide compounds from acids in a separate storage room to prevent inadvertent mixing.tent