Text For Citation: 02 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: DUST&FUMES

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 recogn ized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to Class II combustible dust explos ion hazards due to the carbon black dust handling systems were not equipped with safety devices as to: On or about December 7-8, 2010 on the roof and 2nd floor of the mixing department, employees were exposed to combustible dust fire and ex plosion hazards due to the employer's failure to protect the carbon black dust storage silos, conveying sys tems, day bins, cyclones, and dust collectors with an adequate venting, suppress ion system, or suppression system. (a)The particle size separators (cyclones) on top of the two day bins ("E" Day Bin for banbury mixer #4 and "D" Day Bin for b anbury mixer #3) were not provided with deflagration and explosion protection. ( b)The air material separators (dust collectors) on top of the two day bins ("E" Day Bin for banbury mixer #4 and "D" Day Bin for banbury mixer #3) were not prov ided with deflagration and explosion protection. (c)The duct work system drawing carbon black dust from the charging areas for banbury mixers 3 and 4 were not p rovided with deflagration and explosion protection. (d)The enclosed screw conveyor systems for mixers 3 and 4 used to return the car bon black dust, drawn from the charging areas, back to the scales for recycling were not provided with deflagration and explosion protection. Among others, one feasible and useful abatement method to correct these hazards is to follow the r equirements found in NFPA 654 for; a) Cyclones, refer to NFPA 654-2006, Chapter 7.16.3.1 b) Dust collectors, refer to NFPA 654-2006, Chapter 7.13.1.2. c) & d)Sc rew conveyors, refer to NFPA 654-2000, Chapter 7.1.4.