Document RJNyjGYXy1Y2vqE7o4Lg52nJk

THIS COPY FOR MR. T. B. BONNEY, PITTSBURGH FROM E. B. PARKER ROCKDALE WORKS TO MR. D. D. McGREGOR ROCKDALE WORKS PLAINTIFFS EXHIBIT AL-5 April 4, 1977 RE: MONTHLY SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL LETTER MARCH, 1977 Safety and Industrial Hygiene Safety statistics for March: S.I. Frequency D.I. Frequency Severity Sum March 17.42 6.97 .36 7.33 Year-to date 9.53 7.14 7.39 14.53 1977 Objective Maximum 9.09 1.21 .24 1.45 Two disabling injuries occurred in March. One involved a Mechanical Maintenance welder who suffered a broken leg in a scooter collision while the other involved a Potroom employee who suffered a third degree burn on his foot when metal splashed in his boot while he was cleaning up after a tap out. Four serious injuries also occurred in March. . A practice of conducting daily "tool-box" safety meetings at the beginning of each work shift was begun. In cases where, because of work situations certain people cannot attend such meetings, they will be contacted by their supervisor within the first two hours of the shift. In an effort to better use the safety log books available in each department for noting safety items requiring'attention, a weekly review of the books will be conducted by superintendents. Items which have not been corrected in one week will be brought to the attention of the appropriate manager. The Safety Slogan contest winner for the second quarter was Billy Strelsky, a potroom employee. Banners bearing his winning slogan "You're only as safe as your work habits," will be displayed in the plant and a $100 savings bond will be presented to him. Mr. Welby Parrish, attorney representing Mrs. Beverly Urban, wife of Edward Urban who was fatally injured in the February 16 Atomizer fire, visited Rockdale to look at several items of equipment involved in that accident. He was accompanied by Mr. Terry Reese of Texas Employers Insurance Association. ARD 001880 MR. D. D. McGREGOR April 4, 1977 . Page Two Training activity during March included: 1. Job Safety Analysis Training for hourly employees. 2. A Red Cross Multimedia First Aid Instructors Course, completed by six (6) Alcoa and five (5) I.G.C. employees. 3. A Defensive Driving Course offered in the City of Rockdale. ' 4. A C.P.R. Instructors Course offered by Dr. E. R. Goltra, Texas Area Medical Director. 5. A Wire Rope Corporation representative conducted an in-plant seminar on wire rope inspection and safety for approximately-25 people. Mr. Rob Stephenson, Pittsburgh Office and Mr. Jim Thompson, Northwest Environmental.Manager, accompanied several representatives of Radian Corporation on a visit to Rockdale to evaluate technology for controlling employee exposure to industrial hygiene hazards. Radian is under contract to NIOSH to conduct a study in this field. Dr. Richard Konzen, Texas A & M University, brought a group of Industrial Hygiene graduate students to Rockdale on an Industrial Hygiene field trip. Their visit included comments by Dr. Goltra on Medical Programs, Allen Clayton on Industrial Hygiene Programs and Dave Smith on Plant operations, followed by a plant tour. An RFA for 10 sets of PI00 pot catwalks was prepared and routed for local approval. The new catwalks will allow an expanded evaluation of a new catv/alk design aimed at reducing the arcing and tripping hazards associated with the present equipment. Government Agency Contacts The Texas Air Control Board was advised of three incidents of high air emissions during March. Two of these involved particulate emission from the lignite drier while one involved particulate emissions from the North boiler stack. The Texas Air Control Board source testing group returned to Rockdale on March 11 to retest the South boiler stack. The testing was witnessed by Mr. Phil Schwindt, EPA representative. To complete their evaluation of our status of compliance, information concerning the heat input to the boiler during the test must be furnished by Alcoa. . A plan and schedule for de-watering A-26 Lake was developed and submitted to the Texas Water Quality Board in response to a request from Executive Director Hugh C. Yantis, Jr. ARD 001881 MR. D. D. McGREGOR April 4, 1977 Page Three A citation alleging violation of an article of the National Electric Code in the Atomizer accident of February 16 was received from OSHA. The citation was contested on the basis that the NEC is an installation code and thefefore does not apply to maintenance of such equipment. Notice was received that the Administration Law Judge's decision in Alcoa's contest of an OSHA citation concerned with unguarded carbon baking furnace pits was to be reviewed by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Other Environmental Activity A requisition was issued for a shut-off damper for the Carbon Plant electrostati precipitator. This damper is needed to reduce emissions during insulator clean ing. An RFA for a second Class I waste disposal area was submitted for approval. Results of Alcoa's February and March emissions testing of the two IGC boiler stacks indicated out-of- compliance levels of SO2. Calculations based on lignite analysis indicated compliance. The assistance of the Pittsburgh Environmental Engineering, Power Engineering and Environmental Health groups has been requested in order to resolve the issue. The situation is very serious since emissions testing is the basis on which the Air Control Board judges compliance. Dressing and grass sprigging of the areas around the new sediment ponds designed to control Total Suspended Solids in minewater discharge was begun. Representatives of Espey-Huston, an Austin consulting firm, visited Rockdale to discuss plans for the study to evaluate the impact of dewatering A-26 Lake on Yegua Creek and Somerville Reservoir. Plans for controlling water discharges from the future south mining area and from the proposed vehicle washing station in the fuel area were reviewed with representatives of I.G.C. It was concluded that a series of small sediment ponds and one large holding pit would be necessary to meet TWQB, EPA, and Texas Railroad Commission standards for mine water discharge The vehicle wash station will be designed so that no discharge will occur. When necessary, water will be pumped from the sediment pond into water trucks and used for irrigation of reclaimed mine areas or to control dust on the haul roads. General ' Mr. H. N. Mueller attended a respiratory protection seminar put on by Texas A & M University and the University of Texas in conjunction with AIHA and ASSE. Mr. E. B. Parker attended a Texas Area Environmental Conference held at Anderson County Works. All four Texas plants plus Bauxite Works were represented. ARD 001882 MR. D. D. McGREGOR April 4, 1977 Page Four Messrs. W. E. Michalke and R. R. Sugg were among a group of Alcoa, IGC and TP&L personnel who visited several Texas Utilities lignite fired power plants to observe ash handling and disposal methods. Mr. Robert A. Reed, Pittsburgh Legal Department, visited Rockdale in connection with pollution control bond financing of proposed abatement equipment at Rockdale. Mr. H. N. Mueller attended the annual Texas Safety Association Convention. He was elected a director of that organization. E. B. PARKER mj 1/3 Ir Copies to: P. R. Atkins, Pittsburgh T. B. Bonney, ". J. R. Archibald, " V. W. Rieke, " A. A. Rambikur, Pt. Comfort R. C. Hinkle, Badin 0. E. Wilkinson, Anderson County C. L. Green, Rockdale D. L. Smith, " J. W. Havins, " A. G. Clayton, " H. N. Mueller, " ARD 001883 ' FROM > THIS COPY FOB--R. H-. MATSON (PITTSBURGH) H. N. MUELLER ' SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATOR ROCKDALE WORKS TO MR. D. D. McGREGOR WORKS MANAGER ROCKDALE WORKS April 15, 1976 RE: SAFETY AND HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING The Safety and Health Committee met on Thursday, April 8, 1976, at 3:0iip.r in Room 21-B, Building 80. Those in attendance were Messrs. R. R. SuggV Jr., E. J. Gaas, Finis Black, Thomas Williams, Ike Korenek, T. L. Stuller, L. G. Parsons, W. B. Howell, E. R. Goltra, M. D., E. B. Parker, E. C. Remaley, Ferro Pagliai (Vera Cruz, Mexico), and the writer. 'The following items of old business were discussed: 1. Mr. L. G. Parsons explained how the cool hat with a vortex tube cools the head and shoulders. It was explained that this system has proven very effective for the spike pullers at Point Comfort Operations. Plans are to try the cool hat with vortex tube April 9, 1976 in one of the Line 7 cranes. ^ 2. Mr. R. R. Sugg, Jr. reported on progress being made on the new lunch rooms in Buildings 32 and 56. It was also reported that the next new lunch room scheduled is in Line 5. 3. Rest room and shower facilities for ladies were discussed. Tentative plans for alterations to provide such facilities were discussed. 4. The Safety Audit of the Services Department is complete and J. L. Roddy will be auditing an area of the Potrooms in the next week. The following items of new business were brought to the attention of the committee: 1 The hazardous nature of the asbestos mill board spacer strip used between pot shells and cradles was discussed. It was pointed out that new, unused material poses no problem since the asbestos fibers are bonded together to prevent them from becoming airborne. However, after pro longed service at high temperatures, the bonding material breaks down and the mill board becomes brittle and crumbly. For this reason; special precautions must be taken when removing potshells from their stalls. A substitute material has been located and asbestos mill board will be phased out. We will continue to look for substitutes for all special asbestos products used. 2. The general feeling toward the plant-wide Safety Rule Book is one of acceptance. The only exception to this is the feeling that the section marked "Rules of Good Conduct" should not be in the Safety Rule Book. It was pointed out, however, that it is quite difficult to separate "Rules of Good Conduct" and "Safety Rules". I /%? \ i ARD 001884 MR. D. D. McGRECOR April 15, 1976 Page Two 3. There appears to be a problem associated with the fiberglass gasket material used to seal siphon connecting joints. When the old material is removed, its brittle nature results in dust which irritates the skin of the person doing the work. Mr. H. N. Mueller will work with these people to help find a way of avoiding this exposure. 4. Mr. H. P. Dick noted that the automatic dampers in Furnaces 9, 10, 11 and 12 in the Ingot Plant cause problems during chlorine fluxing. These dampers automatically close when the burners are off. Since chlorine fluxing must be done with burners off, fumes from this opera ' tion escape into the building. Mr. Dick emphasized the need for manual damper controls to provide adequate ventilation during fluxing. The committee also discussed the possible relocation of a telephone west of No. 9 Furnace. An employee using this phone could very easily step out in front of a passing Towmotor. The next meeting of the Safety and Health Committee will be Thursday, May 6, 1976, Room 21-B, Building 80, at 3:00 p.m. H. N. MUELLER' dm 4/2 Copies to: E. B. Parker, Co-Chairman T. L. Stuller R. R. Sugg, Ur. E. C. Remaley E. R. Goltra, M. D. W. B. Howell Informational Copies to: F. P. Bergeron H. E. Reagan J. 0. Tesh J. L. Roddy J. D. Shinn W. D. Essary Weldon Henson, Co-Chairman H. P. Dick (Ingot) E. J. Gaas (Potrooms) Thomas Williams (Carbon Plant) Ike Korenek (Potlining) Finis Black (Mech. Maint.) J. H. Greene J. E. Johnston C. L. Valentine W. T. Eckert W. J. Davis R. H. Watson (Pittsburgh)