1910.261(g): Chemical processes of making pulp

(g) Chemical processes of making pulp —

(1) Sulfur burners.

(i) Sulfur-burner houses shall be safely and adequately ventilated, and every precaution shall be taken to guard against dust explosion hazards and fires, in accordance with American National Standards Z9.2—1960 and Z12.12—1968.

(ii) Nonsparking tools and equipment shall be used in handling dry sulfur.

(iii) Sulfur storage bins shall be kept free of sulfur dust accumulation, in accordance with American National Standard Z9.2—1960.

(iv) Sulfur-melting equipment shall not be located in the burner room.

(2) Protection for employees (acid plants).

(i) Supplied air respirators shall be strategically located for emergency and rescue use.

(ii) The worker shall be provided with eye protection, a supplied air respirator and a personal fall protection system that meets the requirements of subpart I of this part, during inspection, repairs or maintenance of acid towers. The line shall be extended to an attendant stationed outside the tower opening.

(3) Acid tower structure. Outside elevators shall be inspected daily during winter months when ice materially affects safety. Elevators, runways, stairs, etc., for the acid tower shall be inspected monthly for defects that may occur because of exposure to acid or corrosive gases.

(4) Tanks (acid).

(i) Tanks shall be free of acid and shall be washed out with water, and fresh air shall be blown into them before allowing men to enter. Men entering the tanks shall be provided with supplied air respirators, lifebelts, and attached lifelines.

(ii) A man shall be stationed outside to summon assistance if necessary. All intake valves to a tank shall be blanked off or disconnected.

(5) Clothing. Where lime slaking takes place, employees shall be provided with rubber boots, rubber gloves, protective aprons, and eye protection. A deluge shower and eye fountain shall be provided to flush the skin and eyes to counteract lime or acid burns.

(6) Lead burning. When lead burning is being done within tanks, fresh air shall be forced into the tanks so that fresh air will reach the face of the worker first and the direction of the current will never be from the source of the fumes toward the face of the workers. Supplied air respirators (constant-flow type) shall be provided.

(7) Hoops for acid storage tanks. Hoops of tanks shall be made of rods rather than flat strips and shall be safely maintained by scheduled inspections.

(8) Chip and sawdust bins. Steam or compressed-air lances, or other facilities, shall be used for breaking down the arches caused by jamming in chip lofts. No worker shall be permitted to enter a bin unless provided with a safety belt, with line attached, and an attendant stationed at the bin to summon assistance.

(9) Exits (digester building). At least one unobstructed exit at each end of the room shall be provided on each floor of a digester building. Open (g)(9)

(10) Gas masks (digester building). Gas masks must be available, and they must furnish adequate protection against sulfurous acid and chlorine gases and be inspected and repaired in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.134.

(11) Elevators.

(i) Elevators shall be constructed in accordance with American National Standard A17.1—1965.

(ii) Elevators shall be equipped with gas masks for the maximum number of passengers.

(iii) Elevators shall be equipped with an alarm system to advise of failure.

(12) Blowoff valves and piping. Open (g)(12)

(i) The blowoff valve of a digester shall be arranged so as to be operated from another room, remote from safety valves.

(ii) Through bolts instead of cap bolts shall be used on all digester pipings. Open (g)(12)(ii)

(iii) Heavy duty pipe, valves, and fittings shall be used between the digester and blow pit. These valves, fittings, and pipes shall be inspected at least semiannually to determine the degree of deterioration.

(iv) Digester blow valves shall be pinned or locked in closed position throughout the entire cooking period. Open (g)(12)(iv)

(13) Blow pits and blow tanks.

(i) Blow-pit openings preferably shall be on the side of the pit instead of on the top. Openings shall be as small as possible when located on top, and shall be protected in accordance with subpart D of this part.

(ii) A specially constructed ladder shall be used for access to blow pits, to be constructed so that the door of the blow pit cannot be closed when the ladder is in place; other means shall be provided to prevent the closing of the pit door when anyone is in the pit.

(iii) A signaling device shall be installed in the digester and blow-pit rooms and chip bins to be operated as a warning before and while digesters are being blown.

(iv) Blow-pit hoops shall be maintained in a safe condition.

(14) Blowing digester.

(i) Blowoff valves shall be opened slowly.

(ii) After the digester has started to be blown, the blowoff valve shall be left open, and the hand plate shall not be removed until the digester cook signals the blow-pit man that the blow is completed. Whenever it becomes necessary to remove the hand plate to clear stock, operators shall wear eye protection equipment and protective clothing to guard against burns from hot stock.

(iii) Means shall be provided whereby the digester cook shall signal the man in the chip bin before starting to load the digester.

(15) Inspecting and repairing digester.

(i) Valves controlling lines leading into a digester shall be locked out and tagged. The keys to the locks shall be in the possession of a person or persons doing the inspecting or making repairs.

(ii) Fresh air shall be blown into the digester constantly while workmen are inside. Supplied air respirators shall be available in the event the fresh air supply fails or is inadequate.

(iii) No inspector shall enter a digester unless a lifeline is securely fastened to his body by means of a safety belt and at least one other experienced employee is stationed outside the digester to handle the line and to summon assistance. All ladders and lifelines shall be inspected before each use.

(iv) All employees entering digesters for inspection or repair work shall be provided with protective headgear. Eye protection and dust masks shall be provided to workmen while the old brick lining is being removed, in accordance with American National Standards, Z87.1—1968, Z88.2—1969, and Z99.1—1969.

(16) Pressure tanks-accumulators (acid).

(i) Safety regulations governing inspection and repairing of pressure tanks-accumulators (acid) shall be the same as those specified in subparagraph (15) of this paragraph.

(ii) The pressure tanks-accumulators shall be inspected twice annually. (See the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII, Unfired Pressure Vessels—1968, with Addenda.)

(17) Pressure vessels (safety devices).

(i) A safety valve shall be installed in a separate line from each pressure vessel; no hand valve shall be installed between this safety valve and the pressure vessel. Safety valves shall be checked between each cook to be sure they have not become plugged or corroded to the point of being inoperative. (See the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII, Unfired Pressure Vessels—1968, with Addenda.)

(ii) All safety devices shall conform to Paragraph U-2 in the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII, Unfired Pressure Vessels—1968, with Addenda.

(18) Miscellaneous. Insofar as the processes of the sulfate and soda operations are similar to those of the sulfite processes, the standard of paragraphs (g) (1) through (17) of this section shall apply.

(i) Quick operating showers, bubblers, etc., shall be available for emergency use in case of caustic soda burns.

(ii) Rotary tenders, smelter operators, and those cleaning smelt spouts shall be provided with eye protection equipment (fitted with lenses that filter out the harmful rays emanating from the light source) when actively engaged in their duties, in accordance with American National Standard Z87.1—1968.

(iii) Heavy-duty pipe, valves, and fittings shall be used between digester and blow pit. These shall be inspected at least semiannually to determine the degree of deterioration and repaired or replaced when necessary, in accordance with American National Standards B31.1—1955, B31.1a—1963, B31.1.0—1967, and B31.2—1968.

(iv) Smelt-dissolving tanks shall be covered and the cover kept closed, except when samples are being taken.

(v) Smelt tanks shall be provided with vent stacks and explosion doors, in accordance with American National Standard Z9.1—1951.

(19) Blow lines.

(i)-(ii) [Reserved]

(iii) When blow lines from more than one digester lead into one pipe, the cock or valve of the blow line from the tank being inspected or repaired shall be locked or tagged out, or the line shall be disconnected and blocked off.

(20) Furnace room. Exhaust ventilation shall be provided where niter cake is fed into a rotary furnace and shall be so designed and maintained as to keep the concentration of hydrogen sulfide gas below the parts per million listed in § 1910.1000.

(21) Inspection and repair of tanks. All piping leading to tanks shall be blanked off or valved and locked or tagged. Any lines to sewers shall be blanked off to protect workers from air contaminants.

(22) Welding. Welding on blow tanks, accumulator tanks, or any other vessels where turpentine vapor or other combustible vapor could gather shall be done only after the vessel has been completely purged of fumes. Fresh air shall be supplied workers inside of vessels.

(23) Turpentine systems and storage tanks. Nonsparking tools and ground hose shall be used when pumping out the tank. The tank shall be surrounded by a berm or moat.