OSHA Inspection: DIXIE GRANITE CO. INC.

Issued

2012-09-28 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-10-22 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2100.00 · Current $840.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(a)(1):  All places of employment, passageways, storerooms or service rooms were not kept clean and orderly or in a sanitary condition.    (a) On or about 4/25/12 the employer did not keep the sandblasting area clean and orderly. Accumulations of old equipment and debris were kept in the area. Employees are exposed to the hazards of being trapped or impeded in an emergency and slips, trips, and falls.

Issued

2012-09-28 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-10-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.36(g)(2): Exit access(es) were not at least 28 inches (71.1 cm) wide at all points.    (a) On or about 4/25/12 the employer did not ensure that exit access from the sand blasting area was at least 28 inches wide at all points. One exit access point from the shaper sand blasting booth was 22 inches wide. Employees are exposed to the hazard of being trapped in the area in an emergency.

Issued

2012-09-28 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-12-27 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3500.00 · Current $1400.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8110

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(b)(1):  When employees were subjected to sound exceeding those listed in Table G-16, feasible administrative or engineering controls were not utilized:    (a) An employee working as a automatic sandblast operator was exposed to noise at a dose of 888 per cent or an equivalent noise level of 105.8 dbA as an eight hour time weighted average (TWA). Sampling was conducted on 4/26/12 for a period of 351 minutes. All unsampled time less than 480 minutes is assumed to be zero.  Employees are exposed to the hazard of permanent hearing loss.

Issued

2012-09-28 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4200.00 · Current $1680.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 90109130

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1):  The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee���s ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace:    (a) On or about 4/25/12 the employer did not provide a medical evaluation for employees who are working as shapers and required to wear respirators or other employees in the layout and stone cutting areas who may wear tight fitting respirators voluntarily. Employees are exposed to the hazard of cardiopulmonary stress.

Issued

2012-09-28 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-10-22 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(2):  Employee(s) using tight-fitting facepiece respirators were not fit tested prior to initial use of the respirator:    (a) On or about 4/25/12 the employer did not ensure that employees working as Shapers were fit tested prior to the use of a tight fitting respirator.

Issued

2012-09-28 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-10-15 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3500.00 · Current $1400.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(i)(5)(i):  Compressors used to supply breathing air to respirators were not so constructed and situated so as to prevent entry of contaminated air into the air-supply system:    (a) On or about 4/25/12 the employer did not ensure that the Bullard Free-Air compressor used to supply breathing air to the Shaper was situated in an area that provided clean breathable air. Employees are exposed to the hazard of breathing contaminated air. The compressor is located on top of the Shaper booth and is covered with dust.  Employees are exposed to the hazard of breathing air contaminated with dust  and/or silica.

Issued

2012-09-28 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-12-27 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3500.00 · Current $1400.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(c):  The employer did not ensure that an employee's exposure to any substance listed in Table Z-3 in any 8-hour work shift of a 40 hour work week did not exceed the 8-hour time weighted average limit given for that substance in the table.    (a) On or about 4/26/12 an employee working as a Shaper was exposed to silica at level of 8.2 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3) of air as an 8 hour Time Weighted Average (TWA) which is 29.46 times the Permissible Exposure Limit of .278 milligrams per cubic meter TWA. Sampling was conducted on 4/26/12 for a period of 429 minutes. All unsampled time less than 480 minutes is assumed to be zero.      (b) On or about 4/26/12 an employee working as a stone cutter was exposed to silica at a level of .630 mg/m3 TWA which is 1.33 times the Permissible Exposure Limit of .476 mg/m3. Sampling was conducted for a period of 420 minutes. All unsampled time less than 480 minutes is assumed to be zero.

Issued

2012-09-28 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-02-11 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(e):  Feasible administrative or engineering controls were not determined and implemented to achieve compliance with the limits prescribed in 29 CFR 1910.1000(a) through (d):    (a) On or about 4/25/12 the employer did not determine and implement feasible administrative and engineering controls for Shapers who were exposed to silica above the Permissible Exposure Limit.    (b) On or about 4/25/12 the employer did not determine and implement feasible administrative and engineering controls for Stone Cutters exposed to silica above the Permissible Exposure Limit. The employees have only fans in the general area.

Issued

2012-09-28 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-02-11 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 9130

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000 TABLE Z-1:  The employer did not ensure that an employee's exposure to any substance in Table Z-1, the exposure limit of which is not proceeded by a "C" shall not exceed the 8-hour Time Weighted Average given for that substance for any 8-hour work shift of a 40 hour work week.     (a) On or about 4/25/12 an employee working as a Shaper (sand blaster) was exposed to respirable dust at a level of 8.2 milligrams per cubic meter of air as an 8 hour time weighted average (TWA) which is 1.64 times the Permissible Exposure Limit of 5 milligrams per cubic meter TWA. Sampling was conducted on 4/26/12 for a period of 429 minutes. All unsampled time less than 480 minutes is assumed to be zero.

Issued

2012-09-28 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6)(ii):   Except as provided in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(7) and 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(8), the employer did not ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace was labeled, tagged or marked with the product identifier and words, pictures, symbols, or combination thereof, which provide at least general information regarding the hazards of the chemicals and which, in conjunction with the other information immediately available to employees under the hazard communication program, would provide employees with the specific information regarding the physical and health hazards of the hazardous chemical    (a) On or about 4/25/12 the employer did not ensure that the drum outside the plant was labeled with the identity or the hazard information. The drum contained Kerosene and was located near the Torit air filtration unit.  Employees are exposed to the hazard of fire.