OSHA Inspection: FOREMOST FARMS

Issued

2022-03-15 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $10360.00 · Current $7252.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances M102

General-duty citation text

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): 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 combustible milk powder dust fire, deflagration, and explosion hazards while working at or near an indoor spray dryer system (main drying chamber, cyclones, baghouse, and connecting ductwork). The system operated in a manner where uncontrolled fire, deflagration propagation, and explosion hazards were present from the processing of combustible milk powder dust. The system was operated without a means of fire protection (detection, shutdown, and suppression) to prevent the development of a fire condition, without means of deflagration propagation protection (isolation systems) to prevent the spread of a pressurized flame between the equipment within the spray dryer system, without a means of explosion protection for the spray dryer, and without a means of explosion protection for the cyclones to prevent an overpressure of those vessels:   a) On or about September 22, 2021, the Anhydrous system (direct fired natural gas Anhydrous Atomizer/Dryer, cyclones in parallel, south cyclone with negative pressure air-material inlets, a Big bag house with negative pressure air-material inlet and sock media filters, and a Packaging hopper with negative pressure air-material inlet) handling combustible whole whey powder dust, presented combustible dust fire, explosion and deflagration propagation hazards as the system was operated without:       1) a means of fire protection (detection, shutdown, and suppression) to prevent the development of a fire condition;       2) a means of deflagration propagation protection (isolation systems) to prevent the spread of a pressurized flame between the equipment within the spray dryer system; and       3) a means of explosion protection for the spray dryer and fines recovery cyclone to prevent overpressure of those vessels.   b) On or about September 22, 2021, the indoor Hydrate system (direct fired natural gas Hydrate Atomizer/Dryer, a fluidized bed, six Reflux cyclones with negative pressure air-material inlets, two Reinject cyclones with positive pressure air-material inlets, a Hot Air bag house with positive pressure air-material inlets and sock media filters, a Cold Air cyclone with negative pressure air-material inlet and Cold Air bag house with negative pressure air-material inlet and sock media filters) handling combustible whey protein concentrate powder dust, presented combustible dust fire, explosion and deflagration propagation hazards as the system was operated without:        1) a means of fire protection (detection, shutdown, and suppression) to prevent the development of a fire condition;       2) a means of deflagration propagation protection (isolation systems) to prevent the spread of a pressurized flame between the equipment within the spray dryer system; and       3) a means of explosion protection for the spray dryer and fines recovery cyclone to prevent overpressure of those vessels.