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

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 potential fire and explosion hazards: Machine Fab Cell: Employees used ethanol, a Class 1B flammable liquid, to clean parts in a bench mounted ventilation booth. The booth was made out of plastic, including the flexible duct that led to the blower and then from the blower to the charcoal filter assembly. The air was then re-circulated into the room. The company did not have a change-out schedule for the charcoal filtration system to prevent flammable vapors from breaking through the filters and getting into the adjacent work areas where welding and de-burring operations were conducted. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is: 1.Ensure that the ventilation system components are designed, installed and potential fire and explosion hazards: Machine Fab Cell: Employees used ethanol, a Class 1B flammable liquid, to clean parts in a bench mounted ventilation booth. The booth was made out of plastic, including the flexible duct that led to the blower and then from the blower to the charcoal filter assembly. The air was then re-circulated into the room. The company did not have a change-out schedule for the charcoal filtration system to prevent flammable vapors from breaking through the filters and getting into the adjacent work areas where welding and de-burring operations were conducted. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is: 1.Ensure that the ventilation system components are designed, installed and maintained in accordance with generally recognized standards such as, but not limited National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 91, Standard for Air Conveying of Vapors, Gases, Mists and Noncombustible Particulate Solids. 2.Ensure the booth and ventilation components are non-combustible. (NFPA 91, Section 2-2.1) 3.Ensure the vapor collection filters are maintained to prevent vapor break-through and migration into adjacent work areas. (NFPA 91, Section 7-1)ion