Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 004 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 BURNS FROM THE USE OF NON- APPROVED HOME MADE DIE HEAT RINGS THAT SUPPLIED OXYGEN AND NATURAL GAS FROM A FIXED PIPING SYSTEM BY FLEXIBLE HOSES. THE GAS AND OXYGEN WAS MIXED IN A SMALL APPROXIMATELY 1 INCH DIAMETER TEE TYPE PIPE BEFORE BEING BURNED AT THE END OF THE DIE HEAT RING ASSEMBLY. THE FLEXIBLE HOSES THAT SUPPLIED THE GAS AND OXYGEN TO THE DIE HEAT RING CHAMBER WERE BADLY BURNED AND THERE WERE NO REVERSE GAS FLOW OR FLASHBACK ARRESTERS INSTALLED BETWEEN THE DIE HEAT RING AND THE FLEXIBLE SUPPLY HOSES. THE ABOVE CONDITIONS EXPOSED THE WORKERS TO FIRE AND OR EXPLOSION CONDITIONS SHOULD THE HOSES FAIL AND/ OR THERE WAS A SLIGHT DIFFERENCE OF PRESSURE IN ONE OF THE SUPPLY LINES. THIS COULD CAUSE THE GASES NOW MIXED IN A COMBUSTIBLE STATE TO BURN RAPIDLY, BACK INTO THE SUPPLY LINES. AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT METHOD TO CORRECT THIS HAZARD IS TO USE ONLY APPROVED EQUIPMENT, NON DAMAGED SUPPLY HOSES AND THE INSTALLATION OF REVERSE GAS/FLASHBACK ARRESTERS BETWEEN THE SUPPLY HOSES AND THE DIE HEAT RING. NOTE: APPROVED MEANS: APPROVED, OR LISTED BY A NATIONALLY RECOGINIZED TESTING LABORATORY.