OSHA has issued 24 occupational health and safety violations against H P Pelzer Automotive Systems Inc. in Thomson, Ga. The agency is proposing $135,000 in penalties against the company.
A health inspection of the plant revealed seven serious violations resulting in penalties of $32,500. The health violations include the company allowing combustible dust to accumulate, not protecting employees from noise hazards and exposing employees to an airborne concentration of formaldehyde.
The company is also being cited with a repeat health violation and a $25,000 penalty for using high pressure compressed air to clean equipment resulting in clouds of resin dust, and a second repeat violation with a $25,000 penalty for exposing employees to high concentrations of airborne particulates. This location had been cited for similar violations after inspections conducted in 2006.
OSHA is issuing an additional 15 citations with proposed penalties of $52,500 after a subsequent safety inspection found serious violations including lack of guardrails, improper lockout/tagout procedures to prevent accidental start-up of machinery, electrical hazards and employees using defective equipment.
“OSHA conducted this inspection as part of its national emphasis program on combustible dust,” said Gei-Thae Breezley, director of OSHA’s Atlanta-East Area Office. “No employee needs to risk their health and their life by working under these conditions.”
January 9th, a Jasper, IN furniture manufacturer experienced an explosion that sent ten workers to the hospital, shut operations down indefinitely, and caused hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage. They were lucky!
These where not as lucky:
January 29, 2003: West Pharmaceutical Services, rubber-manufacturing plant in Kinston, NC – Six deaths, 38 injuries.
February 20, 2003: CTA Acoustics, automotive insulation manufacturing plant in Corbin, KY – Seven deaths, 30 injuries.
February 7, 2008: Imperial Sugar Plant, sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, GA –Thirteen deaths, 40 injuries.
What do all these events have in common? Dust, Disaster, and Death. In late 2007, OSHA announced a National Emphasis Program to address the dangers of combustible dust. Any combustible material (and some materials normally considered noncombustible) can burn rapidly when in a finely divided form. If this dust is suspended in air in the right concentration, it can become explosive. The force from such an explosion can cause employee deaths, injuries, and destruction of entire buildings.
A U.S. Chemical Safety Board study of dust incidents between 1980 and 2005 identified 281 incidents that killed 119 workers, injured 718, and caused significant economic impact. Materials that may form combustible dust include metals, wood, coal, plastics, biosolids, sugar, paper, soap, dried blood, and certain textiles. In many of these explosions, those involved were unaware that a combustible dust hazard even existed.
Generally, the smaller the dust particle the bigger the potential hazard. For the most part, dust particles that are 420 microns in size or smaller are the ones for most concern. But for mixtures of different sizes, it only takes 2% of the total dust concentration to be 420 microns or smaller to create an explosive mixture. Table sugar ranges from 150 – 850 microns in size.
OSHA inspectors are being directed that whenever they see a dust layer of 1/32 inch thickness accumulated over a surface area of at least 5% of the floor of a facility or room, there could be a problem. In November 2008, OSHA cited an Alabama clothing hanger manufacturer with a willful violation of $44,000 for allowing paper dust to accumulate on machinery and the shop floor. On March 11th of 2009 an auto parts manufacturer was cited for $135,000 after a combustible dust national emphasis inspection.
Companies must determine the combustibility of any dusts that are a product or byproduct of their operations. Relying on Material Safety Data Sheets may not be enough. In a recent investigation involving a review of 140 Material Safety Data Sheets of combustible powders, it was found that more than 40% did not have warnings about potential explosions.
There are five conditions that contribute to the likelihood and intensity of a dust explosion: a fuel (combustible dust); heat (ignition source); and an oxidizer (usually the oxygen in air). The last two are somewhat unique to combustible dust explosions. They are “Dispersion” of dust particles and “Confinement” of the dust cloud such as in a vessel, a room, or ductwork.In many dust explosions a precursor event occurs, such as a tank rupture, arc flash, or something as simple as cleaning an area with pressured air that disperses residual dust into the air. All that is needed is an ignition source for an event to occur. Employers should remember that just because what you produce doesn’t involve dust, you aren’t 100% safe from a potential dust explosion. One must consider the entire operation looking at raw materials, machining, conveying, or other forms of manipulating these materials that may create a dust.Housekeeping…………let me repeat myself, “Housekeeping”. Remember that dust layers of 1/32 inch thickness can be hazardous. If you see dust, clean it up. Pay special attention to places not seen, such as tops of machinery, building structural members, and above drop ceilings.
Also consider the implementation of an ignition control program, such as grounding and bonding duct systems, dust collectors, and dust-producing machinery. Review your hot work permit program for dust considerations. Be sure to use industrial trucks and other cleaning equipment approved for combustible dust locations.
For heavier dust situations, specialized dust collection systems, quick action fire suppression, and explosion venting systems may be needed. Don’t forget the need for employee training on the explosion hazards of combustible dusts as well as on your facility’s emergency action plan.
If you don’t control your dust, you are putting your organization at risk for a possible catastrophic event or a “not so pleasant” OSHA visit.
Dwayne Towles is President of Louisville, KY based Advanced Safety & Health, LLC. He can be reached at (502) 240-6910 or by email at dtowles@AdvancedSafetyHealth.com.
OSHA has proposed $66,500 in penalties against Florida Crystals Corp.’s South Bay, Fla., production facility after uncovering 15 violations of OSHA standards.
The inspection began last September in response to OSHA’s National Emphasis Program on combustible dust.
The 14 serious violations, with proposed penalties totaling $63,500, include management’s failure to keep the workplace free of accumulations of combustible dust; a locked fire exit door; failure to provide machine guards on equipment; not enforcing the use of seatbelts at the jobsite; not developing lockout/tagout procedures on packaging machines to prevent accidental machinery start-up; using a defective powered industrial truck; exposing employees to electrical hazards; and using high pressure compressed air for cleaning purposes.
The one other-than-serious citation, with proposed penalties totaling $3,000, is for the company’s failure to maintain separate injury logs for each of its establishments in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
“It is management’s responsibility to ensure its workplace is free of dangers that could seriously harm employees. OSHA will not tolerate a casual attitude toward safety,” said Darlene Fossum, OSHA’s area director in Fort Lauderdale.
OSHA is proposing $293,700 in penalties for 36 safety and health violations found at Phenix Lumber Co. in Phenix City, Ala.
The total proposed penalties include $202,500 for four safety citations and one health citation resulting from the company’s failure to correct violations identified during a previous OSHA inspection. Those citations include the company’s failure to obtain audiograms for employees exposed to noise hazards, not implementing specific lockout/tagout procedures to prevent accidental start-up of machinery and three instances where machine guards had not been installed in a timely manner.
In addition, OSHA is proposing $23,100 in penalties for one repeat and seven serious health violations; and $68,100 for 17 serious, five repeat and one other-than-serious safety violations. The health violations relate to poor housekeeping of combustible dust, lack of safety signs, lack of safety equipment, and using incorrect electrical and forklift equipment. The safety violations include unguarded machinery and pit openings, not utilizing lockout/tagout procedures, dangers to employees from unstable piles of lumber, lack of signage and improper use of electrical equipment.
“These financial penalties are the direct result of the company’s failure to correct violations found in 2007,” said Kurt Petermeyer, OSHA’s area director in Mobile. “Even when OSHA staff pointed out problems during previous inspections and management agreed to correct them, the company did not follow through on its obligations.”
CSB NEWS RELEASE Chairman Bresland’s New YouTube Safety Message Urges More Government Action, Increased Industry Vigilance to Prevent Catastrophic Dust Explosions
Washington, DC, February 4, 2009 - Marking the first anniversary of the Imperial Sugar explosion that killed 14 workers in February 2008, CSB Chairman John Bresland released a new video safety message today asking federal regulators and businesses to increase efforts to prevent combustible dust fires and explosions.
In the safety message, Chairman Bresland noted that of eight catastrophic industrial dust explosions since 1995, all but one occurred during cold weather months. Four disastrous dust explosions occurred during the month of February alone.
“Yesterday’s reports of a coal dust explosion near Milwaukee that caused injuries and damage underscore the danger from these accidents,” Chairman Bresland said on the release of today’s message. Several contract workers suffered burn injuries from an explosion Tuesday morning involving a coal dust collection system at a power plant in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
“I call on all of industry to take this hazard seriously - during the winter months and throughout the year,” Mr. Bresland said in the video. “And I urge the incoming leadership at OSHA to act upon the CSB’s recommendations from 2006 to develop a comprehensive regulatory standard for combustible dust.”
The CSB completed a major study of combustible dust hazards in November 2006, identifying 281 fires and explosions that killed 119 workers and injured 718 others. The CSB urged the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to develop a comprehensive regulatory standard designed to prevent dust explosions. OSHA has not issued a standard but has developed a program to increase enforcement of existing regulatory provisions.
On February 7, 2008, a catastrophic dust explosion destroyed the massive packaging plant at the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia, fatally burning 14 workers and injuring 38 others. In Senate testimony in July 2008, Chairman Bresland noted that the Imperial explosion and other major dust explosions would likely have been prevented if the companies had followed existing National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommendations for controlling dust hazards. Those measures - including appropriate equipment and building design, worker training, and rigorous dust-cleaning programs - should form the basis of a new regulatory standard for industrial workplaces, Mr. Bresland said.
“Despite the efforts of NFPA, OSHA, the Chemical Safety Board, and many others, serious dust explosions and fires continue to occur,” Mr. Bresland said in the new video. “As CSB chairman, my commitment is do everything possible to make these tragedies a thing of the past. Stronger, clearer regulations and more robust safety programs in industry will prevent most dust explosions - and save lives.”
The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency’s board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems.
The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. Visit our website, www.csb.gov.
For more information, contact Daniel Horowitz at (202) 261-7613 or Hillary Cohen at (202) 261-3601.
Viewers who can not access YouTube can download the video files for all safety messages and safety videos from a page within the CSB Video Room (http://www.csb.gov/index.cfm?folder=video_archive&page=trouble).
Combustible dust, electrical and health hazards cited during inspection
Federal OSHA is proposing $166,950 in penalties against M&B Metal Products Co. and its subcontractor, Oak Mountain Construction Co. An OSHA inspection conducted after a roof collapse at the M&B Metal Products manufacturing plant in Leeds, Ala., revealed 46 alleged safety and health violations.
M&B Metal Products Co. is being assessed one willful violation with a $44,000 finefor allowing explosive paper dust to accumulate on machinery and the shop floor. The company is also being fined $117,950 for 42 serious violations related to employees’ exposure to struck-by, fall, electrical, and noise hazards.
Oak Mountain Construction Co. received two serious safety violations with $5,000 in penalties for exposing employees to fall hazards and not conducting jobsite inspections to identify fall and roof collapse hazards. Oak Mountain was performing repairs on the roof support system when it collapsed in May.
“Management disregarded employees’ safety and health by requiring them to work in a structurally deficient building and knowingly exposing them to dangerous accumulations of explosive dust,” said Roberto Sanchez, OSHA’s area director in Birmingham.
·West Pharmaceutical Services rubber-manufacturing plant in Kinston, North Carolina - Six deaths and 38 injuries
·CTA Acoustics automotive insulation manufacturing plant in Corbin, Kentucky - Seven deaths and over 30 injuries
·Imperial Sugar plant, a sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia - Eleven deaths and many still hospitalized.
What do all these events have in common?Deaths, disaster and dust.In late 2007 OSHA announced a NEP (National Emphasis Program) to address the dangers of handling combustible dust.Any combustible material (and some materials normally considered noncombustible) can burn rapidly when in a finely divided form. If such a dust is suspended in air in the right concentration, it can become explosive. The force from such an explosion can cause employee deaths, injuries, and destruction of entire buildings. A U.S. Chemical Safety Board study of dust incidents between 1980 and 2005 identified 281 incidents that killed 119 employees and injured 718, including seven recent incidents that caused extensive facility damage and significant community economic impact.
Materials that may form combustible dust include metals (such as aluminum and magnesium), wood, coal, plastics, biosolids, sugar, paper, soap, dried blood, and certain textiles. In many accidents, employers and employees were unaware that a hazard even existed.
OSHA has directed their regional offices to conduct inspections of general industry facilities that may have a potential for dust.In the NEP instruction, compliance officers are told that an immediate cleaning is warranted whenever a dust layer of 1/32 inch thickness accumulates over a surface area of at least 5% of the floor area of the facility or any given room.
It is imperative that companies determine the combustibility of any dusts that are a product or byproduct of their operations.Relying on Material Safety Data Sheets may not be enough.In a recent investigation involving a review of 140 Material Safety Data Sheets of combustible powders, more than 40% did not have any warning about potential explosions.
It’s Not Just a Housekeeping Issue 
