Text For Citation: 02 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: DUST&FUMES

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 engaged in aluminum processing and finishing operations such grinding, wheelabrating, sawing, and regular maintenance of the processing equipment's dust collection systems were exposed to potential fire and explosion hazards posed by the generation of fine metallic dusts : SPECIFICALLY , EMPLOYEES WERE EXPOSED TO THE FOLLOWING FIRE AND EXPLOSION HAZARDS: a) GRINDING AREA: THE ROTOCLONE DRY TYPE DUST COLLECTOR WAS NOT LOCATED OUTSIDE THE BUILDING. b) GRINDING AREA: THE BLOWER FOR DRAWING THE DUST LADEN AIR INTO THE ROTOCLONE DUST COLLECTOR WAS NOT LOCATED ON THE CLEAN AIR SIDE OF THE ROTOCLONE'S DRY TYPE DUST COLLECTOR. c) GRINDING AREA, GE HUB DEPARTMENT & PERMANENT MOLD DEPARTMENT: DUST FROM GRINDING AND SHOT BLASTING OPERATIONS WAS NOT REMOVED FROM THE DRY TYPE COLLECTORS AT LEAST ONCE DAILY. d) GE HUB DEPT: THE DRY TYPE DUST COLLECTOR SERVING THE WHEELABRATOR A TABLE MODEL 70-AC SN 102414 BLAST CLEANER, WAS NOT LOCATED OUTSIDE THE BUILDING. e) GE HUB DEPARTMENT; THE CARBORUNDUM DRY TYPE DUST COLLECTOR, SN # 73.242.1.02.01.400.CN2, SERVING THE REBUILT WHEELABRATOR TUMBLASTER, MODEL A121491 WAS NOT INSTALLED OUTSIDE THE BUILDING. f) PERMANENT MOLD DEPARTMENT: THE AMERICAN DUST TUBE DRY TYPE DUST COLLECTOR SERVING THE WHEELABRATOR TUMBLASTER , SERIAL NO. A 59470, WAS NOT INSTALLED OUTSIDE THE BUILDING. g) THE AREAS AROUND THE DRY TYPE DUST COLLECTORS IN THE GE HUB, GRINDING AND THE PERMANENT MOLD DEPARTMENT WERE NOT POSTED WITH CAUTION SIGNS WARNING " THIS DUST COLLECTOR CAN CONTAIN EXPLOSIBLE DUST" h) GRINDING DEPARTMENT; THE DUST HOODS SERVICING GRINDING MACHINES IN THE GRINDING DEPARTMENT WERE NOT PROVIDED WITH PLACARDS WARNING USERS "ALUMINUM METALS ONLY- FIRE OR EXPLOSION CAN RESULT WITH OTHER METALS." AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT METHOD TO CORRECT THESE HAZARDS WOULD BE THE FOLLOWING ; 1) LOCATE ALL THREE WHEELABRATOR'S DUST COLLECTION SYSTEMS OUTSIDE THE BUILDING OR SEGREGATE IT FROM THE PROCESSING AREAS AS RECOMMENDED BY NFPA 651, 1998 EDITION , STANDARD FOR THE MACHINING AND FINISHING OF ALUMINUM AND THE PRODUCTION AND HANDLING OF ALUMINUM POWDERS, CHAPTER 4. 2) REPLACE, MODIFY OR UPGRADE THE ROTOCLONE'S DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM SERVING THE GRINDING DEPARTMENT SO THAT THE BLOWER DRAWING THE DUST LADEN AIR FROM THE GRINDERS IS SITUATED ON THE CLEAN SIDE OF THE DRY TYPE COLLECTOR, AS RECOMMENDED BY NFPA 651 CHAPTER 4. 3) EVALUATE ALL EXISTING VENTILATION EQUIPMENT FOR CONFORMANCE WITH NFPA 651 CHAPTER 4 4) ESTABLISH REGULAR HOUSEKEEPING PRACTICES, AS RECOMMENDED BY NFPA 651 CHAPTER 5 TO PREVENT ACCUMULATION OF FINE METAL DUSTS. 5) POST AREAS AND EQUIPMENT THAT POSE FIRE AND EXPLOSION HAZARDS WITH WARNING SIGNS AS RECOMMENDED BY NFPA 651 CHAPTER 4. 6) ESTABLISH A DAILY DUST COLLECTOR EMPTYING SCHEDULE AS RECOMMENDED BY NFPA 651 CHAPTER 4, 7) ESTABLISH AN EMPLOYEE TRAINING PROGRAM WHICH WOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: i) Training in the safe handling of aluminum dusts and specific requirements applicable to the work environment to control or eliminate the fire and explosion hazards. ii) Procedures to be followed in case of equipment or process failure that may result in fire or explosion, iii) Develop operating procedures which are reviewed at least once per year and after every process change. 8) DESIGN WORK AREA INTERIORS AND EQUIPMENT TO BE SMOOTH AND EASY TO CLEAN. 9) ELIMINATE ALL SOURCES OF IGNITION INCLUDING SMOKING, OPEN FLAMES, LIGHTS AND STATIC ELECTRICITY. 10) REDESIGN EQUIPMENT SUCH AS GRINDER HOODS, AND OTHER DUST HANDLING OPERATIONS SUCH AS COLLECTOR EMPTYING TO BE AS DUST TIGHT AS POSSIBLE.