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Inspection Detail
Inspection: 310572821 - Charter Steel
Inspection Information - Office: Cleveland Area Office
Site Address:
Charter Steel
4300 E. 49th St.
Cuyahoga Hts, OH 44125
Mailing Address:
4300 E. 9th St., Cuyahoga Heights, OH 44125
Union Status: NonUnion
SIC:3312
NAICS: 331111/Iron and Steel Mills
Inspection Type: Accident
Scope: Partial
Advanced Notice: N
Ownership: Private
Safety/Health: Safety
Close Conference: 04/19/2007
Emphasis:
Case Closed: 10/30/2007
| Type | Activity Nr | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accident | 100104173 |
| Violations/Penalties | Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Unclass | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Violations | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||
| Current Violations | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||
| Initial Penalty | $8,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $8,000 |
| Current Penalty | $6,500 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $6,500 |
| FTA Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| # | Citation ID | Citaton Type | Standard Cited | Issuance Date | Abatement Due Date | Current Penalty | Initial Penalty | FTA Penalty | Contest | Latest Event | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 01001A | Serious | 19101000 A02 | 04/30/2007 | 06/02/2007 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $0 | - | ||
| 2. | 01001B | Serious | 19101000 E | 04/30/2007 | 07/15/2007 | $0 | $0 | $0 | I - Informal Settlement | ||
| 3. | 01001C | Serious | 19100134 D01 I | 04/30/2007 | 06/02/2007 | $0 | $0 | $0 | - | ||
| 4. | 01001D | Serious | 19100134 D01 III | 04/30/2007 | 06/02/2007 | $0 | $0 | $0 | - | ||
| 5. | 01002A | Serious | 19101200 E01 I | 04/30/2007 | 06/02/2007 | $1,500 | $1,500 | $0 | - | ||
| 6. | 01002B | Serious | 19101200 E01 II | 04/30/2007 | 06/02/2007 | $0 | $0 | $0 | - | ||
| 7. | 01002C | Serious | 19101200 G01 | 04/30/2007 | 06/02/2007 | $0 | $0 | $0 | - | ||
| 8. | 01003A | Serious | 19100038 C05 | 04/30/2007 | 06/02/2007 | $1,500 | $1,500 | $0 | I - Informal Settlement | Citation has been deleted. | |
| 9. | 01003B | Serious | 19101200 H03 III | 04/30/2007 | 06/02/2007 | $0 | $0 | $0 | - | ||
| 10. | 02001 | Other | 19100147 C01 | 04/30/2007 | 06/02/2007 | $0 | $0 | $0 | - |
Investigation Summary
On November 27, 2006, Employee #1, a maintenance employee, was troubleshooting an electrical problem in the steam injector room. The employer was producing stainless steel and was using a vacuum oxygenation decarburization (VOD) unit. This unit was recently built and was first used in the summer of 2006. The melt is stirred by bubbling argon gas through the bottom of the vessel. The oxygen gas reacts with the carbon to form carbon monoxide (CO) gas. The CO gas along with other gasses and particulates are removed from the melt by the vacuum system. The exhaust is moved through pipes to a textile filter system. It then moves through the exhaust stack which has a flare to burn off the CO. On the day of the accident, Employee #1 was troubleshooting the electrical system for the textile filters that were not working. The company's internal investigation revealed that the emission control flare burned out in the exhaust stack, causing the CO gas to backup into the steam injector room. Employee #1 was found in the steam injector room unconscious and not breathing. Blood levels taken by the coroner's office from the deceased Employee #1 were sent to the Salt Lake City lab where they confirmed that he was overexposed to carbon monoxide at a level of 447.1 parts-per-million.
Keywords: MAINTENANCE, EQUIPMENT FAILURE, OVEREXPOSURE, CARBON MONOXIDE, ASPHALT
| # | Inspection | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 310572821 | Fatality | Asphyxia | Machinery maintenance occupations |