OSHA Inspection: DOWZER ELECTRIC CO.

Issued

1988-10-31 00:00:00

Abate by

1988-11-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $420.00 · Current $210.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

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 recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death
or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to:
...the hazard of fires, resulting in severe burns, asphyxiation, and/
or death to employees, while water was being removed from transformer
oils by evaporation in open top vessels heated by gas-fired furnaces.
No methods were employed to monitor water level of and/or heat input
to the oil/water mixture, resulting in ignition of the oil after all
the water had evaporated.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to correct this
hazard is to use chemical or mechanical reconditioning and/or
reclamation processes for removal or water from transformer oils, such
as those stipulated in Section 6 of IEEE Standard 637-1985. IEEE Guide
For the Reclamation of Insulation Oil and Criteria for Its Use. Such
processes include the following:
1) Vacuum dehydration
2) Centrifuge
3) Coalescing filters
4) Precipation settling
5) Perculation by pressure
DISCLAIMERS:
1) You are not limited to the abatement methods suggested above.
2) The methods explained are general and may not be effective in all
cases.
3) The employer is responsible for selecting and carrying out an
appropriate abatement method.