Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 004A Hazard:

29 CFR 1910.106(e)(6)(i): General. Adequate precautions shall be taken to prevent the ignition of flammable vapors. Sources of ignition include but are not limited to open flames; lightning; smoking; cutting and welding; hot surfaces; frictional heat; static, electrical, and mechanical sparks; spontaneous ignition, including heat-producing chemical reactions; and radiant heat. (a) On or about December 26, 2023, and through January 3, 2024, the employer had not ensured that condition of static spark discharge from human and conductive process equipment interactions, such as the opening of the mixing vessels in the Class I Division 1 manufacturing area containing flammable liquids and their vapors (such as but not limited to vessels KD-5 and CT-1) to add particulate solid additives, was controlled or protected for by ensuring that employees interacting with the mixing vessels were bonded to the system and grounded through means of personnel bonding and grounding (i.e., wrist straps or static dissipative footwear with engineered, conductive flooring systems). This condition exposed employees to explosion, deflagration, flash fire, and/or fire hazards associated with the ignition of flammable vapors from static sparks between employees and the process equipment. (b) On or about December 26, 2023, and through January 3, 2024, the employer had not ensured that the combustible particulate solid additives charging processes associated with mixing vessels in the Class I Division 1 manufacturing area processing flammable liquids and combustible particulate solids (such as but not limited to vessels KD-5 and CT-1) were protected from a static spark ignition source in that the employer allowed direct, manual dump charging of combustible particulate solid additives into the vessels' lid openings from bags which is a recognized source of potential ignition. This condition exposed employees to explosion, deflagration, flash fire, and/or fire hazards associated with the ignition of flammable vapors from static sparks from the falling particulate materials. (c) On or about December 26, 2023, and through January 3, 2024, the employer had not ensured that mixing vessels in the Class I Division 1 manufacturing area processing flammable liquids and combustible particulate solids (such as but not limited to vessels KD-5 and CT-1) were protected from a static spark ignition source in that the flexible hoses were used as branch ducts to connect the vessels to the ventilation system's main duct. The branch ducts were made of non-conductive material (plastic) and the internal stiffening wires were not bonded and grounded to the system which is a recognized source of potential ignition. This condition exposed employees to explosion, deflagration, flash fire, and/or fire hazards associated with the ignition of flammable vapors from static sparks from isolated conductors.