Electrical and Arc Flash Safety » NEC Related Wiring Fines

OSHA Proposes Penalties of $46.2 to TX Hydraulic Co

Hugh Hoagland — Fri, 18 May 2012 20:12:44 +0000

High Roller Wells Pearsall SWD #1 Ltd of Pearsall, TX, was cited for serious safety violations following an explosion and fire. Violations included failing to ensure that equipment and electrical wiring are rated for the environment in which they are being used, take necessary precautions to prevent possible ignition sources such as sparks or static electricity, conduct a workplace hazard assessment to determine the appropriate personal protective equipment needed, and ensure that there is an emergency action plan in place.

Click here to read the OSHA News Release dated 4/24/12.

$67.5k Proposed Penalties to Bartlett Grain of KS due to 6 Deaths & 2 Injuries in Combustible Dust Explosion

Hugh Hoagland — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:47:55 +0000

Bartlett Grain of Atchison, KS, was cited by OSHA for willful and serious safety violations in response to the October 2011 grain elevator explosion tragedy.

The willful violations include allowing grain dust – which is nine times as explosive as coal dust – to accumulate, using compressed air to remove dust without first shutting down ignition sources, jogging (repeatedly starting and stopping) inside bucket elevators to free legs choked by grain, and using electrical equipment inappropriate for the working environment.

The serious violations involve a lack of proper preventive maintenance, certification and lubrication of grain handling equipment; inadequate emergency action plan training for employees and contractors; a lack of employee and contractor training on job hazards; and a housekeeping program that was deficient because it did not prevent grain dust accumulations.

Click here to read the OSHA News Release dated 4/12/12.

OSHA Proposes $191.7k Fines for AL Farmers Coop

Hugh Hoagland — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:26:00 +0000

Alabama Farmers Cooperative was cited for safety and health violations for exposing workers at its Decatur facility to combustible dust and other hazards. Included in the violations was failure to reduce the accumulation of, and use approved electrical equipment in the presence of, combustible dust. Employees were exposed to nuisance dust 1.6 times higher than the permissible exposure limit.

Click here to read the OSHA News Release dated 4/10/12.

Maine’s Bath Iron Works Fined $171K by OSHA

Hugh Hoagland — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:40:31 +0000

OSHA proposed fines of $171,300 to Bath Iron Works for violations of workplace safety standards at its shipyad in Augusta, ME. Included in the electrical hazards was an unqualified employee operating an overhead crane, unguarded electrical equipment, and exposed and damaged electrical sheathing.

Click here to read the OSHA News Release dated 4/2/12.

Plastics Mfr Fined $71k by OSHA

Hugh Hoagland — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:30:18 +0000

OSHA cited BWAY Corp of Atlanta, GA, for safety & health violations at its Dayton, NJ, plastics manufacturing facility. Repeat violations included failure to develop lockout/tagout procedures for energy sources of specific equipment, conduct and certify monthly crane hook inspections, and protect electrical live parts with approved enclosures. Serious violations included failure to ensure that lockout procedures of energy sources were in place to prevent amputation hazards.

Click here to read the OSHA News Release dated 4/2/12.

OSHA Proposes $174K Fine for OH Welding Wire & Ground Power Equipment Company

Hugh Hoagland — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 14:11:59 +0000

Hobart Brothers Co. of Troy, OH, was cited with 55 safety & health violations, with proposed penalities of $174K. OSHA focused on this company due to higher-than-average injury and illness rates. Included in the serious safety violations were failures to isolate energy sources, provide lockout/tagout procedures for the energy sources of equipment, train workers on hazardous energy sources, and provide appropriate PPE for employees performing energized electrical work.

Click here to read the OSHA News Release dated 3/5/12.

Explosion in Congo Killing 200+ Linked to Faulty Wiring

Hugh Hoagland — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 14:10:41 +0000

A munitions depot in the Congo exploded on Sunday morning, killing over 200 and injuring an estimated 1500. An electrical short circuit / faulty wiring has been listed as the cause of the explosion. The blasts scattered ammunition across the city of Brazzaville, and they were continuing to explode, causing more fatalities.

Click here to follow the story dated 3/6/12.

Click here for photos of devastated area.

Electrocution in Cornfield due to Irrigation System

Hugh Hoagland — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:15:39 +0000

No charges filed following electrocution of several youth working in Illinois cornfield when lightning struck the fields’ irrigation system while they were removing tassels from the corn.

Stories on this incident indicate the irrigation system may not have been properly grounded and/or bonded resulting in several youths being injured and two fatally. OSHA and the NEC requires proper wiring be installed and maintained in any worksite. Though wiring is not the primary field of a farmer. Installations must be maintained in a safe operating condition and adequate training should be provided even to temporary workers.

Click here to read more about electrical shock fatalities to young farm workers.

JeffBoat Fined $119,000 for Nine Safety Violations in IN

Hugh Hoagland — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:24:31 +0000

Following a fatality in August of last year, OSHA cited JeffBoat for 9 safety violations. Seven serious violations have been cited for hazards such as failing to develop and implement lockout procedures involving hazardous energy control equipment, not training employees to work safely around and operate transfer cars, not inspecting transfer cars and ensuring that electrical circuits had been de-energized prior to employees performing work on equipment and failing to provide strain relief on the pendant controllers. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
Click here for the news article dated 2/16/12.

Criminal Charges Against WV Coal Mine Official Resulting from 2010 Explosion

Hugh Hoagland — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:52:12 +0000

Upper Big Branch Coal Mine was site of 2010 explosion in which 29 miners died. The Massey Energy superintendent faces felony criminal charges for conspiring to impede enforcement efforts by using code phrases to tip off mine operators to pending MHSA inspections checking for health and safety violations. Last year, the head of security was charged with impeding investigators and lying to them, and a former foreman also has been acused of lying to investigators. The belief according to the article was that regulations impeded coal production. Mine explosions also impede coal production. Dead workers also impede coal production. It is alleged that workers rerouted electrical wiring around a methane monitor on a piece of digging equipment to allow the machine to keep running not automatically shut down in the presence of an explosive level of methane which was likely involved in the explosion.

Click here to read the article dated 2/22/12.