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

29 CFR 1910.136(a): General requirements. The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses protective footwear when working in areas where there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects, or objects piercing the sole, or when the use of protective footwear will protect the affected employee from an electrical hazard, such as a static-discharge or electric-shock hazard, that remains after the employer takes other necessary protective measures. (a) On or about December 26, 2023, and through January 3, 2024, the employer had not ensured that the condition of static spark discharge from human and conductive process equipment interactions, such as the opening of mixing vessels in the Class I Division 1 manufacturing are 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 and grounded through the use of static dissipative footwear integrated with engineered, conductive flooring systems. This condition exposed employees to explosion, deflagration, flash fire, and/or fire hazards associated with the ignition of flammable vapor from static sparks between employees and the processing equipment.