Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001A Hazard:

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): 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 hazards such as, but not limited to, chemical burns, burns from flame, and/or struck-by hazards: a) Quality Assurance Laboratory: On July 3, 2018, waste hydrochloric acid was combined with a mixture of alcohols, potassium hydroxide, and other non-halogenated wastes in the same 5 gallon JustRite waste container. A rapid over-pressurization occurred in the waste container, which resulted in the lid and flame arrestor being ruptured causing a brief fire. Although it appears that the over-pressurization may have been casued by the mixing of incompatible chemicals, it has not been conclusively determined that the mixing of incompatible chemicals was the causal factor in the incident. Feasible means of abatement would include, but are not limited to: logging all chemicals placed into the containers, avoid mixing liquid waste materials in common containers unless determined to be safe through analysis, training workers to be aware of reactivity hazards and incompatibilities, clearly identifying and labeling all reactive materials including what conditions/interactions must be avoided, segregating and separating incompatible materials using dedicated equipment, following the guidelines and specifics codes & standards associated with specific hazard categories of reactive materials (i.e. peroxides, oxidizers, peroxide formers, pyrophoric materials, polymerizing materials, and unstable materials). Possible resources include, but are not limited to, manufacturers safety data sheets, technical bulletins, etc.; the American Institute of Chemical Engineers - Center for Chemical Process Safety; EPA; OSHA; the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) Hazardous Chemicals Data Compilation (NFPA 49), as contained in NFPA's Fire Protection Guide to Hazardous Materials (2010); NFPA's Compilations of Hazardous Chemical Reactions (NFPA 491) as contained in NFPA's Fire Protection Guide to Hazardous Materials (2010); U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Chemical Reactivity Worksheet.