Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 007 Hazard: FALLING

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 firs when shifting dust from a hopper to the 55 gallon drum: a)Plant, Lab area: On 8/9/99. an employee was using a single cone hopper to sift powders into a 55 gallon drum to mix and prepare for shipment. The 55 gallon drum had a space between the top of the drum and the bottom of the hopper, because of this space the dust from the falling powder created a static charge and cause a flash fire. Abatement Note: One feasible and acceptable method of abatement, among others, to correct the hazard of flash fires is to perform a complete thorough hazard analysis to identify, evaluate, and control all the hazards involved such as but not limited to grounding the 55 gallon drum to the sifter of the hopper. Another acceptable method of abatement is to develop a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the sifting of powders from the hopper to the 55 gallon drum, and to train all affected employees accordingly.