Pacific Galvanizing: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Aug 6, 2018: Employee sustains second degree burns from tank residue

At approximately 7:55 a.m. on August 6, 2018, an employee removing a cover from a second of a tank and stepped onto the covered tank next to the first to start pulling a tube from both tanks. The employee lost his footing, fell into the uncovered tank, and splashed his legs with residue from tank before rinsing it off. The employee sustained second burns to both legs and was taken to Kaiser Permanente before being transferred to Santa Clara hospital, where he was admitted.

Incident on Sep 18, 2017: Employee sustains second degree burns from molten zinc

At 5:30 p.m. on September 18, 2017, Employee #1 was performing cleaning operations inside of a kettle that housed a bath of molten zinc at 850 degrees Fahrenheit. His left foot fell into the molten zinc and he suffered second degree burns to his left lower leg and foot. Employee #1 was hospitalized for his burns.

Incident on Nov 17, 2008: Galvanizing process operator is struck by flying metal bar

At approximately 8:45 a.m. on November 17, 2008, Employee #1 was working as a sh op potman, someone who, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, puts the sp elter, or galvanizing liquid, into pots and regulates the flow of gas to make th e proper heat in a galvanizing machine. Along with two coworkers, he was dipping metal bars that were contained in a spinner basket into galvanizing solution. T he basket was attached to a centrifuge machine, and the centrifuge machine was h ooked to a 2-ton overhead crane. After Employee #1 had dipped the metal bar in t he galvanizing solution, he transferred the basket to a large metal can called " kettle #2." The purpose of the centrifuge machine was to spin excess coating fro m the parts being galvanized and to dry them. As the centrifuge was spinning, a piece of metal bar flew from the basket and struck Employee #1 in the head and r ight hand or arm. He sustained a contusion on his right frontal scalp and a cont usion on his right forearm. He was hospitalized.