OSHA Inspection: ESSCO - ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION, INC.

Issued

Jul 25, 2012

Abate by

Sep 6, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $800 Reduced

Hazardous substances C730

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(a)(2):     Employee(s) were exposed to an airborne concentration of Carbon Monoxide listed in Table Z-1 in excess of the 8 hour Time Weighted Average concentration of 50 parts per million (ppm) as an 8-hour Time Weighted Average concentration:    (a) On May 23, 2012, a laborer operating a gasoline powered pressure washer inside two below ground parking garages located at 111 and 131 Heidel Rd, Thiensville, WI, was exposed to an average Carbon Monoxide concentration of 255 ppm for a period of approximately 329 minutes.  This worker's 8-hour Time Weighted Average exposure to Carbon Monoxide was approximately 175 ppm, which exceeded the OSHA permissible exposure limit by approximately 3.5 times.  The 8-hour Time Weighted Average calculation assumed zero carbon monoxide exposure for the remainder of the 8 hour work day (approximately 151 minutes) .  Employee Carbon Monoxide exposure concentration was determined by the post-exposure carboxyhemoglobin measurement.

Issued

Jul 25, 2012

Abate by

Oct 19, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances C730

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 May 23, 2012, at the underground parking garage job sites located at 111 and 131 Heidel Road, Thiensville, WI, admnistrative or engineering controls were not in place to prevent the laborer from having an 8 Hour Time Weighted Average exposure to carbon monoxide of 175 ppm, 3.5 times the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit of 50 ppm.

Issued

Jul 25, 2012

Abate by

Sep 6, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $800 Reduced

Hazardous substances C730

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1):     The employer did not develop, implement, and/or maintain at the workplace a written hazard communication program which describes how the criteria specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) will be met:    (a) Workers performing various cleaning tasks, such as pressure washing using a gasoline-powered pressure washer inside parking garages, were not provided with a written hazard communication program to ensure adequate information and training was provided regarding the hazards of chemical exposures and necessary precautions to protect them from those hazards.  For example, workers were not adequately trained on the health hazards associated from carbon monoxide exposure and necessary workpractices to follow to prevent the accumulation of carbon monoxide generated by use of such equipment inside an enclosed space.    (b) Material safety data sheets (MSDS) were not maintained for all hazardous chemicals to which workers were exposed.   For example, no MSDS was maintained for the powerwash concentrate solution, which could cause eye irritation.  Nor was there a MSDS maintained for gasoline which was used as fuel for the pressure washer.  In addition to flammability hazards of gasoline, byproducts of gasoline combustion, such as carbon monoxide, could create hazardous conditions if the combustion process occurred in an enclosed space without adequate provision for ventilation.

Issued

Jul 25, 2012

Abate by

Sep 6, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances C730

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(3)(iii):     Employee training did not include the measures employees can take to protect themselves from chemical hazards, including specific procedures the employer had implemented to protect employees from exposure to hazardous chemicals, such as appropriate work practices, emergency procedures and personal protective equipment to be used:    (a) Some of the jobs involved use of gas powered pressure washing equipment, which emit hazardous combustion products, including carbon monoxide.  Workers were not adequately trained on necessary measures to take to protect themselves from the hazard of elevated carbon monoxide levels when performing such jobs in an enclosed space, such as underground parking garages.

Issued

Jul 25, 2012

Abate by

Aug 15, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances C730

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(8):     The employer shall maintain in the workplace copies of the required material safety data sheets for each hazardous chemical, and shall ensure that they are readily accessible during each work shift to employees when they are in their work area(s). (Electronic access, microfiche, and other alternatives to maintaining paper copies of the material safety data sheets are permitted as long as no barriers to immediate employee access in each workplace are created by such options.)    (a) Material safety data sheets were not maintained for all hazardous chemicals used at job sites.  For example no material safety data sheet was maintained for Zep Pressure Wash Concentrate, which could cause eye irritation.  Nor was a material safety data sheet maintained for gasoline, the fuel used in the pressure washer equipment.  In addition to the physical and health hazards associated with direct exposure to the liquid gasoline and its vapors, when used in an internal combustion engine gasoline could generate hazardous products of combustion, including carbon monoxide.