OSHA Inspection: FONTAROME CHEMICAL, INC.

Issued

2012-10-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-11-21 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3500.00 · Current $1750.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances D740

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(7)(ii):     Additional medical evaluations that complied with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.134 were not provided when a PLHCP, supervisor, or the respirator program administrator informed the employer that an employee needed to be reevaluated:  (a) Warehouse workers who performed various tasks in the Packaging Room requiring use of respiratory protection, such as repackaging of diacetyl and other hazardous chemicals, were not provided additional medical evaluations at the frequency recommended by the PLHCP (Physician or other Licensed Health Care Professional).  For example,  a Warehouse Assistant, who on September 13, 2012 used a full face chemical cartridge respirator during diacetyl repackaging (resulting in a short term diacetyl exposure of 29 ppm), had not been provided a medical evaluation since 2008, although the PLHCP had recommended additional medical evaluation(s) to be performed at an annual frequency.  Airborne exposures to diacetyl may potentially result in respiratory impairment.

Issued

2012-10-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-11-21 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2100.00 · Current $1050.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(1):     The employer did not ensure that employee(s) required to use a tight-fitting facepiece respirator passed the appropriate qualitative fit test (QLFT) or quantitative fit test (QNFT):    (a) In the Packaging Room, tasks requiring use of a tight-fiitting facepiece respirator, such as the repackaging of methional, have been performed by employee(s) who had not been provided a fit test.  Exposure to methional could, potentially, be harmful to the lungs.

Issued

2012-10-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-11-21 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(2)(vi):     Material safety data sheets (MSDS) for hazardous chemicals did not contain at least the OSHA permissible exposure limit, ACGIH Threshold Limit Value, and any other exposure limit used or recommended by the chemical manufacturer, importer, or employer preparing the material safety data sheet:    (a) The employers material safety data sheets (MSDS) for Diacetyl, for example Part Codes 11424 and 50014, did not include the ACGIH Threshold Limit Value(s) for diacetyl.  The 2012 ACGIH TLV booklet listed the following TLVs for diacetyl: a TWA (8-hour, time-weighted average) of 0.01 ppm (parts per million) and a STEL (Short-term exposure limit) of 0.02 ppm.

Issued

2012-10-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-11-21 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(2)(xi):     Material safety data sheet (MSDS) for hazardous chemicals did not contain at least the date of preparation of the material safety data sheet or the last change to it:    (a) The employer's material safety data sheets for Diacetyl, for example Part Codes 11424 and 50014, did not list either the date of preparation or the last change to it.

Issued

2012-10-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-11-21 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1):     The employer did not provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment, and whenever a new physical or health hazard the employees had not previously been trained about was introduced into their work area:    (a) Hazard communication information and training was deficient in that it neither covered categories of hazards (e.g., flammability, carcinogenicity, target organ effects, etc.), nor did it cover the hazards of specific chemical substances.  Workers at this facility were exposed to a wide variety of hazardous chemicals, including but not limited to diacetyl and methional.