Text For Citation: 02 Item/Group: 001 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: a) Crane operators and other employees working in/around the converter area were exposed to the hazard of explosions and/or fires resulting from containers of wet scrap anodes being dumped into converter vessels which contain molten copper matte. The investigation showed that scrap anodes stored uncovered in the rain and/or taken directly from the refinery rinse area were not allowed sufficient time to air dry or they were dried mechanically with the available heat burners. The employer allowed the wet scrap to be dumped into the converter vessels. In doing so, the employer did not follow the company operating procedures for the smelter cranes which prohibits such dumping.