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 employees in that employees were exposed to dust deflagration, explosion, or other fire hazards as the result of working at or near dust collection systems, which were handling combustible rubber compounding additive dust, not designed to prevent or minimize damage in the event of a deflagration or other uncontrolled fire event: (a)Second floor; Buhler Inc. air-material separators (baghouse dust collectors) #4, #5/6, #7, #8, #9, #10 associated with various Banbury mixers were located inside the facility and were used to collect and, when needed, return excess combustible rubber compound additive dust to the mixers. Combustible rubber compound additive dust contained various dry chemicals such as, but not limited to, carbon black, titanium dioxide, sulfur, zinc borate, kaolin, amorphous silica, and aluminum oxide. The dust collectors did not include: 1)a method of explosion protection and; 2)a method of providing deflagration isolation to connected equipment and ducting (b)Fourth floor, Eastside; Penthouse Hopper air-material separator (baghouse dust collector) associated with various hoppers, including #200, was located inside the facility and handled combustible rubber compound additive dust. Combustible rubber compound additive dust contained various dry chemicals such as, but not limited to, carbon black, kaolin, amorphous silica, and aluminum oxide. The dust collector did not include: 1)a method of explosion protection; 2)a method of providing deflagration isolation to connected equipment and ducting and; 3)a method of fire detection and suppression (c)Fourth floor, Westside; The Pre-Weigh air-material separator (baghouse dust collector) fed from the Pre-Weigh area on the second floor was located inside the facility and handled combustible rubber compound additive dust. Combustible rubber compound additive dust contained various dry chemicals such as, but not limited to, titanium dioxide, sulfur, silica containing compounds, zinc borate, N-t- butyl-2-benzothiazolesulfenamide. The dust collector did not include: 1)a method of explosion protection; 2)a method of providing deflagration isolation to connected equipment and ducting and; 3)a method of fire detection and suppression (d)Second floor, Compounding; The air-material separator (cyclone dust collector) was located inside and was used to collect combustible rubber compound additive dust, similar to the Pre-Weigh dust collector, such as but not limited to, zinc borate, titanium dioxide, N-t-butyl-2-benzothiazolesulfenamide. The dust collector did not include: 1)a method of explosion protection; 2)a method of providing deflagration isolation to connected equipment and ducting and; 3)a method of fire detection and suppression (e)Roof; The air-material separators (baghouse dust collectors) #1 and #2 associated with Banbury mixers #100 and #200 were located outside the facility. The collectors were used to collect and, when needed, return excess combustible rubber compound additive dust to the mixers. Combustible rubber compound additive dust contained various dry chemicals such as, but not limited to, carbon black, titanium dioxide, sulfur, zinc borate, kaolin, amorphous silica, and aluminum oxide. The dust collectors did not include: 1)a method of explosion protection and; 2)a method of providing deflagration isolation to connected equipment and ducting Among other methods, a feasible abatement method to correct this hazard would be to comply with NFPA 654: Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosion from Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids, 2006 [Section 7.13 (7.13.1.1, 7.13.1.2, 7.13.1.3, 7.13.1.5); 7.16 (7.16.3); 7.1.2; and 10] in regards to proper engineering and administrative controls to be implemented. Abatement Schedule STEP 1- A combination of administrative controls shall be implemented as an interim protective measure until feasible engineering and administrative controls can be permanently implemented. STEP 2- A written detailed plan of abatement shall be submitted to the Area Director outlining a schedule for the implementation of engineering and/or administrative measures to control employee exposures to the hazardous condition as referenced in this citation. This plan shall include, at a minimum, target dates for the following actionswhich must be consistent with the abatement dates required by this citation: (1) Evaluation of engineering/administrative control options; (2) Selection of optimum control methods and completion of design; (3) Procurement, installation and operation of selected control measures; and (4) Testing and acceptance or modification/redesign of controls; All proposed control measures shall be approved for each particular use by a competent certified professional engineer. STEP 3- Abatement shall have been completed by the implementation of feasible engineering and administrative controls upon verification of their effectiveness in achieving compliance. Date by Which Violation Must be Abated: STEP 1- 12/30/11; Date by Which Violation Must be Abated: STEP 2- 03/31/12; Date by Which Violation Must be Abated: STEP 3- 06/30/12