Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 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 to employees in that, employees were potentially exposed to a burn hazard from combustible dust collected in the dust collector in the tumblers area: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company, Inc., Hartwell, GA - In the tumblers area, corncob absorbent was used in tumblers with the small metal rings. The dust produced during the tumbling process was collected in a dust collector located inside the building next to the tumblers. The dust collected tested positive as explosive dust. Among other methods, a feasible abatement method to correct this hazard is to follow the NFPA 654 Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulates Solids, paragraph 7.1.4.1 and 7.1.5.1, which require isolation devices to be provided to prevent deflagration propagation between pieces of equipment connected by ductwork and from air-material separators (dust collectors) upstream to the work area. Isolation devices include but are not limited to chokes, rotary valves, and flame front dividers.