OSHA Inspection: ABLE MANUFACTURING & ASSEMBLY

Issued

Feb 14, 1995

Abate by

Mar 19, 1995

Penalty

Initial $2,275 · Current $2,275

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
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employer did not
furnish employmnent 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:
(a) Able Design Plastic, Inc. - Employees were exposed to serious health
hazards in that
the employer did not provide them adequate respiratory protection for use
while
performing spray painting operations using Softdex Activator which
contains 30-50
isocyanates (aromatic polyisocyanate and isophrone diisocyanate).
Painters were or could
potentially be exposed to illnesses including but not limited to negative
effects on the
respiratory tract, the central nervous system, the kidneys, the
reproductive system and
the liver and/or cardiac sensitization.  Painters were provided half-face
negative pressure
respirators for use when spray painting.
One feasible and acceptable abatement method, among others, to correct
this hazard is
to provide and ensure the use of NIOSH recommended respiratory protection
for
exposure to isocyanates.  NIOSH approved respirators for exposure at any
level to
isocyanates include:
1) any self-contained breathing apparatus with a full facepiece:
pressure-demand or other
positive-pressure mode, or
2) any supplied-air respirator that has a full facepiece and is operated
in a
pressuredemand
or other positive-pressure mode in combination with an auxiliary
self-contained
breathing apparatus operated in pressure-demand or other positive-pressure
mode.
ABATEMENT NOTE:
The employer is responsible for complete characterization of the hazards
and
the
selection and implementation of effective abatement methods.