Violation Detail
Standard Cited: 5A0001 OSH Act General Duty Paragraph
Inspection Nr: 100972637
Citation: 01001
Citation Type: Serious
Abatement Date: 05/22/1992 X
Initial Penalty: $4,500.00
Current Penalty: $4,500.00
Issuance Date: 05/19/1992
Nr Instances: 1
Nr Exposed: 20
Related Event Code (REC): A
Gravity: 10
Report ID: 0112600
Contest Date:
Final Order:
Emphasis:
Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: EXPLOSION
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: EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERES IN THE TOLHURST CENTRIFUGES WHILE CENTRIFUGING TOLUENE/SODIUM PHENATE SLURRIES. TOLUENE VAPORS FORM EXPLOSIVE MIXTURES IN THE VESSEL WHEN NOT DILUTED WITH SUFFICIENT VOLUMES OF NITROGEN AS AN INERTING GAS. CALCULATIONS AND ACTUAL MEASUREMENTS WERE NOT DONE TO ENSURE THAT THE NITROGEN SUPPLIED TO THE CENTRIFUGES WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO PREVEN T AN EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERE FROM FORMING DURING THE CENTRIFUGING PROCESS. AMONG OTHER METHODS, FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT METHODS WOULD BE REDUCTION OF THE OXIDANT CONCENTRATION, REDUCTION OF THE COMBUSTIBLE CONCENTRATION OR EMPLOYING EXPLOSION SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS. A PROCESS HAZARD ANALYSIS TO IDENTIFY AND EVALUATE THE HAZARDS WOULD ALLOW FOR THE IMPLIMENTATION OF PROPER CONTROLS, OR COMBINATION OF CONTROLS, TO ELIMINATE THE EXPLOSION HAZARD.
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