Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001A Hazard:

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): 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 including severe burns, to employees in that employees were exposed to dust explosion, deflagration, or other fire hazards from an electric heater: During the inspection on February 1, 2017 of the facility located at 1700 E. Front St. Fremont, NE, it was observed that the employer was failing to protect employees from fire and explosion hazards. This was the result of the employer installing a Pelonis Convection Oil Filled Radiator Heater as means of providing comfort heat in the load out control shed where the presence of combustible grain dust. Among other methods, a feasible abatement method to correct this hazard, such as, but not limited to, the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) standard 61 2017 Prevention of Fires and Dusts Explosions in Agricultural and Food Processing Facilities Section 8.3.10.2 Comfort Heating, states that: i. Heating with electric power requires a heater that meets the requirements of suitability for a Class 2 Division II as required by NFPA 70. ii. Heating must be steam or hot water from a boiler in an approved location, or from electric hot water radiators of a type approved for Class II locations. Steam pipes exposed to dust accumulations shall be protected by suitable insulation having continuous nonporous covering or skin of adequate thickness to keep the surface temperature below 160 degrees Fahrenheit.