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

29 CFR 1910 Section 5 (a) (1) of the Occupational Safety & Health Act of 1970: and the: Vermont Statutes : TITLE 21 Labor : CHAPTER 3. SAFETY: Sub chapter 5. Occupational Safety and Health : 223. Duties. (a) : The employer did not furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or significant physical harm to his employees; and the employer shall comply with safety and health standards promulgated under the VOSHA Code. Location: Wastewater Treatment Plant, Anaerobic Digester Area, on the lawn Violation: The employer did not furnish each of the employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards in that employees were exposed to fire omitting from the unguarded Methane Burner unit which burns off excess sewerage methane, equipped with a flame that can exceed 4 feet in size that moves in unpredictable directions, exposed to wind, that can direct the flame to blow in a 360 degree area, and can blow the flame in a downward area exposing employees who work beneath the flame with such tasks as maintenance and repair to the burner and lawn mowing around the base of the burner. Among other methods, feasible and acceptable methods to correct the hazards include but are not limited to: (a): Guard the burner area. Remove all the grass around the burner and replace the grass with asphalt and install guardrail completely around the burner unit to eliminate landscaping tasks at the burner; (b): Relocate the burner to an area that does not exposed landscaping employees to the flame.