OSHA Inspection: DSM CHEMICALS NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Issued

2003-10-16 00:00:00

Abate by

2004-12-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2625.00 · Current $2625.00

General-duty citation text

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 engineering
and work practice controls were not implemented to reduce and maintain
employees exposure
to airborne caprolactam vapor according to the ACGIH's Threshold Limit
Value of 5 mg/M:
a) A bagger in the flake room was exposed to caprolactam at a TWA of 24.4
milligrams per
cubic meter (mg/M), approximately 4.87 times the limit of 5 mg/M.  The
employee's duties
included bagging for two times during the sampling period, as well as
stacking bags outside of
the flake room.  The exposure was derived from one sample collected over a
390 minute period.
Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of 90 minutes.
b) A bagger in the flake room was exposed to caprolactam at a TWA of 10.6
mg/M,
approximately 2.1 times the limit of 5 mg/M. The employee's duties
included bagging one time
during the sampling period, as well as stacking bags outside the flaking
room.  The exposure
was derived from one sample collected over a 360 minute period. Zero was
assumed for the
unsampled period of 120 minutes.
NOTE: Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this
hazard is to: 1) increase the local source capture at the bagging site 2)
develop a supplied air
island.  However, other methods of abatement may be equally, or more
appropriate.  Ultimate
responsibility for determining the most appropriate abatement method rests
with the employer,
given its superior knowledge of the specific conditions at its worksite.
ABATEMENT STEPS:
STEP 1:Effective respiratory protection shall be provided and used by
exposed employees
as an interim protective measure until feasible engineering and/or
administrative
controls can be implemented, or whenever such controls fail to reduce
employee
exposure to within permissible exposure limits.
STEP 2:Submit to the Area Director a written, detailed plan of abatement
outlining a
schedule for the implementation of engineering and/or administrative
measures
to control employee exposure to hazardous substances as referenced in this
citation.  This plan shall include, at a minimum, target dates for the
following
actions which must be consistent with the abatement dates required by this
citation:
(1)Evaluation of engineering/administrative control options;
(2)Selection of optimum control methods and completion of design;
(3)Procurement, installation and operation of selected control measures;
and
(4)Testing and acceptable or modification/redesign of controls.All
proposed control measures shall be approved for each particular use by a
competent industrial hygienist or other technically qualified person.
Ninety -(90)
day progress reports are required during the abatement period.
STEP 3:Abatement shall have been completed by the implementation of
feasible
engineering and/or administrative controls upon verification of their
effectiveness
in achieving compliance.

Issued

2003-10-16 00:00:00

Abate by

2003-10-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1125.00 · Current $562.00 Reduced

Issued

2003-10-16 00:00:00

Abate by

2003-10-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1125.00 · Current $1125.00