OSHA Inspection: FOX COAL COMPANY

Issued

2007-12-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2008-01-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1500.00 · Current $1500.00

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 burns and other serious injuries while operating
heavy
equipment: a) A 988B Caterpillar front end loader was operated on top of a
burning refused
pile, when the tires and/or leaking oil ignited causing the machine to
catch fire thus exposing
the employee to burn injuries., on or about October 15,2007.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable means of abatement would
be to follow
the requirements in MSHA regulations 30 CFR 77.215(j) that state the
following: the method
used shall be in accordance with a ground control plan required by 77 1000
and 1000-1 that
shall contain as a minimum, provisions to ensure that precautions for
removal of material
that is burning should consist of not operating rubber tired equipment on
rock
where
excessive temperatures present hazards of tire explosion.
A second machine (with positive communication between the second machine
and the
primary machine working the burning pile) must be available in the
immediate area to
provide emergency help to the primary machine operator, in case of a
malfunction and it
would be necessary for the operator to exit the machine. The operator of
the second machine
would need to observe the machine working the burn pile to make sure that
fluid leaks or
fire does not exist on the machine as its working, and require that no
fluid leaks or
accumulations of combustible materials exist on any machine used on the
burning pile.
ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED