OSHA Inspection: METAL FINISHING RESEARCH

Issued

2012-03-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-05-11 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1530.00 · Current $500.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.120(q)(1): Emergency response plan. An emergency response plan shall be developed and implemented to handle anticipated emergencies prior to the commencement of emergency response operations. The plan shall be in writing and available for inspection and copying by employees, their representatives and OSHA personnel. Employers who will evacuate their employees from the danger area when an emergency occurs, and who do not permit any of their employees to assist in handling the emergency, are exempt from the requirements of this paragraph if they provide an emergency action plan in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.38.    a. On or about November 1, 2011, in the plant, the employer did not have an adequate emergency response plan as required by this paragraph.  The employer did not address decontamination, site security and control, personnel and roles of authority, conduct a practice and critique their response plan to ensure that proper preparation and response to a release to  such as nitric oxide or nitrous oxide will be safe

Issued

2012-03-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-04-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2040.00 · Current $1000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(c): Permissible exposure limit (PEL). The employer shall ensure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration of chromium (VI) in excess of 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air (5 ug/m3), calculated as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA).    a. On or about December 16, 2011, in the liquid room, an employee was exposed to chromium VI at an eight hour time weighted average of 0.01 milligrams per meter cubed (mg/m3), approximately 2 times the OSHA permissible exposure limit of 0.005 mg/m3.  This limit is established to prevent employees from suffering from adverse health effects such as nasal septum ulceration and perforation, dermatitis, asthma and lung cancer.

Issued

2012-03-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-05-11 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(e)(2):     Demarcation. The employer shall ensure that regulated areas are demarcated from the rest of the workplace in a manner that adequately establishes and alerts employees of the boundaries of the regulated area.      a.  On or about December 16, 2011, in the liquid room where an employee was exposed at twice the permissible exposure limit for chromium VI (citation 1, item 1), there were no signs posted to alert employees to the potential airborne exposure to chromium VI in the liquid room during the chrome mixing processes .

Issued

2012-03-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-04-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(h)(1):     Provision and use. Where a hazard is present or is likely to be present from skin or eye contact with chromium (VI), the employer shall provide appropriate personal protective clothing and equipment at no cost to employees, and shall ensure that employees use such clothing and equipment.    a. On or about December 16, 2011, in the liquid room, the employee responsible for adding chrome flake was not provided protective clothing for the potential exposure of chromium VI on their skin.

Issued

2012-03-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-04-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(h)(2)(ii):     The employer shall ensure that no employee removes chromium (VI)-contaminated protective clothing or equipment from the workplace, except for those employees whose job it is to launder, clean, maintain, or dispose of such clothing or equipment.    a. On or about December 16, 2011, in the liquid room, an employee over exposed to chromium VI  (citation 1, item 1)was expected to take their work clothes home to launder.  The work clothes were provided by the employer.

Issued

2012-03-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-04-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(h)(3)(i)(B):     All respirators maintained for use in emergency situations shall be inspected at least monthly and in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations, and shall be checked for proper function before and after each use; and    a. On or about November 1, 2011, in the plant,  three Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for emergency use were not inspected monthly.

Issued

2012-03-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-06-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1027(d)(1)(i):     Each employer who has a workplace or work operation covered by this section shall determine if any employee may be exposed to cadmium at or above the action level.    a.  On or about November 1, 2011, in the liquid room, employees were required to add eight ounces of cadmium solution to a batch.  No initial monitoring to determine the employee exposure to cadmium was performed by the employer.

Issued

2012-03-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-06-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1027(m)(1):     "General." In communications concerning cadmium hazards, employers shall comply with therequirements of OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200, including but not limited to the requirements concerning warning signs and labels, material safety data sheets (MSDS), and employee information and training.  In addition, employers shall comply with the following requirements:      a. On or about November 1, 2011, in the liquid room, the employees were required to work with a cadmium solution.  The employer did not have specific hazard communication training on the potential hazards of the chemical.

Issued

2012-03-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-06-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1048(d)(2):     Initial monitoring. The employer shall identify all employees who may be exposed at or above theaction level or at or above the STEL and accurately determine the exposure of each employee so identified.    a. On or about November 1, 2011, in the liquid room, employees were required to add formaldehyde solution to a batch.  No initial monitoring to determine the employee exposure to formaldehyde was performed by the employer.