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

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 explosion: (a) Coal Handling Area; Coal Crushing Penthouse - Employees were exposed to the hazard of explosion where the bucket elevator leg that was located inside was not equipped with explosion relief venting to prevent a secondary dust explosion and/or rupture of the elevator housing. (b) Boiler House Area; Coal Handling Area; Coal Crushing Penthouse - Employees were exposed to the hazard of explosion where the rooms, buildings, or other enclosures were not provided with explosion relief venting distributed over the exterior walls and roof to prevent structural failures in the event of a dust explosion. (c) Coal Handling Area: Two 16" screw augers ("scrolls") transferring coal to two underlying fuel bunkers - Employees were exposed to the hazard of explosion where the screw conveyors were not equipped with deflagration prevention devices such as, but not limited to deflagration/explosion relief venting, containment, isolation, or suppression to prevent the continued propagation of a flame front and overpressure into adjacent buildings/structures or areas and/or rupture of the equipment. (d) Penthouse/coal crushing area: Employees were exposed to the hazard of explosion where coal dust was allowed to excaped from the coal crushing equipment and from the conveying/hopper system feeding coal into the coal crusher. (e) Bucket elevator/inclined conveying belt area: Employees were exposed to the hazard of explosion where coal dust was allowed to escape from the point where the bucket elevator feeds coal onto the inclined open belt conveyor. (f) 16" Scroll conveyers/Y-hopper area: Employees were exposed to the hazard of explosion where the dust was allowed to escape from the point where the inclined open belt conveyor feeds coal into the Y-hopper feeding the two 16" scroll conveyers. (g) Two 16" Scroll Conveyers: Employees were exposed to the hazard of explosion where dust was allowed to excape from the two 16" Scroll Conveyers in that the covers for the enclosure were not closed and dust tight. (h) 4 Bulk Sugar Silos (Old), Weibul Storage Bin & 10 Bulk Sugar Storage Silos (New) - Employees were exposed to the hazard of explosion in the bulk storage areas where the inside legs (bucket elevators) used to convey granulated sugar were not equipped with bearing temperature, belt alignment, and vibration detection monitors at the head and tail pulleys to shut down equipment and/or notify the operator before the initiation of a fire and/or explosion, exposing employees to explosion and fire hazards. (i) 4 Bulk Sugar Storage Silos (Old) and adjoining equipment building, The Weibul storagebin and adjoining equipment building and the 10 Bulk Sugar Storage Silos (New) - Employees were exposed to the hazard of explosion where the rooms, buildings, or other enclosure were not provided with explosion relief venting distributed over the exterior walls and roof to prevent structural failures in the event of a dust explosion. (j) Warehouse #2 - Employees were exposed to the hazard of explosion in warehouse #2 at the bagging (sugar packing) equipment in that the packing equipment was allowed to operate with the dust collector off. One feasible means of abatement for instances (a) and (c) would be to design and install appropriate deflagration/explosion protection systems for all coal conveyance and processing equipment, as referenced in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 654, 2006 edition, Chapter 7, paragraph 7.1.2.1, 7.10.1.1 and 7.10.1.2 ; and Chapter 6, paragraphs 6.4.1. Other feasible abatement methods to correct the hazards identified in instances (d) through (g) above, one method is to implement the requirement of NFPA 654 (2006) Sections 7.11.1.2 to use the dust tight enclosures and other techniques identified in section 8.1 to prevent the escape of dust into the room. Other feasible means of abatement for instance (h) would be to install bearing temperature, belt alignment, and vibration detection monitors at the head and tail pulleys of inside legs (bucket elevators), as referenced in NFPA 61, 2008, Chapter 7. Other feasible means of abatement for instances (b) and (i) would be to comply with the requirements in NFPA 61, 2008, Chapter 7 and NFPA 654, 2006. One feasible means of abatement for instance (j) would be to comply with requirements in NFPA 61, Chapter 10. Pursuant to 29 C.F.R. 1903.19, within ten (10) calendar days, the employer must submit an abatement plan describing the actions it is taking to prevent the hazards described in instances (a), (b) and (c) above.