Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 002 Hazard: BURNS

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 hazards of being seriously burned when operating or working on or near natural gas fuel trains on shell core machines that were not properly maintained. One feasible and acceptable method to correct the hazards is to follow the guidelines established for an operational and maintenance checklist for burners and ovens found in Appendix B of NFPA 86 Standard for Ovens and Furnaces, 1995 Edition A) LOCATION: SHELL MOLDING DEPARTMENT THE EIGHT SHELL MOLD MACHINES WERE POORLY MAINTAINED, CREATING A FIRE AND EXPLOSION HAZARD TO THOSE WORKING ON OR NEAR THE MACHINES. AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED ON 2/25/99 REVEALED THAT THERE WERE NUMEROUS DEFICIENCIES IN THE COMPONENTS OF THESE MACHINES THAT COMPROMISED THEIR FUNCTIONALITY. ZERO GOVERNORS USED IN CONTROLLING NATURAL GAS FLOW AND AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE CONTROL VALVES USED FOR CONTROLLING COMBUSTION AIR FLOW WERE IN VERY POOR CONDITION. DRIED OUT DIAPHRAGMS, LARGE ACCUMULATIONS OF RESIN DUST ON THE DIAPHRAGMS, DEFECTIVE DIAPHRAGM SPRINGS, LOOSE PARTS FOUND ON THE DIAPHRAGM OF A ZERO GOVERNOR, AND LARGE DEPOSITS OF DRIED HYDRAULIC FLUID ON THE INSIDE PORTIONS OF THE ATC VALVES AFFECTED THE CONSISTENT DELIVERY OF THE PROPER MIXTURE OF COMBUSTION AIR AND NATURAL GAS TO THE SHELL MOLD OVENS. MALFUNCTIONS OF THESE FUEL TRAINS MADE OVEN FLAMEOUTS A RECURRENT PROBLEM AND ALLOWED FOR POTENTIAL LOCALIZED GAS FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS WITHIN THE OVENS OF THE MACHINES.