OSHA Inspection: U.S. BATTERY MANUFACTURING CO.

Issued

Dec 18, 2012

Penalty

Initial $5,610 · Current $3,927 Reduced

Hazardous substances 02601591

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 7/25/12, the employer did not ensure that employees who are required to use a respirator were provided with a medical evaluation before they were fit tested or required to use the respirator. Employees work in the casting area or work terminal burning. Employees are exposed to the hazard of exposure to lead, and/ or arsenic fumes or dust.

Issued

Dec 18, 2012

Penalty

Initial $4,675 · Current $3,272 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0260

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1018(c):     Employee(s) were exposed to inorganic arsenic at concentrations greater than ten micrograms per cubic meter of air, averaged over an 8-hour period:    (a) On or about 7/25/12, an employee working as a terminal burner was exposed to inorganic arsenic at a level of 14 micrograms per cubic meter of air (ugm/m3) as an 8 hour time weighted average (TWA) which is 1.4 times the Permissible Exposure Limit of 10 ugm/m3 as a TWA. The employee was sampled for 185 minutes. All unsampled time less than 480 minutes is assumed to be zero. Employees are exposed to the hazard of inhalation of arsenic fumes or dust.

Issued

Dec 18, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 0260

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1018(e)(1)(i):     Determinations of airborne exposure levels were not made from air samples that were representative of each employee's exposure to inorganic arsenic over an eight -8 hour period:    (a) On or about 7/25/12, the employer, U.S. Battery Mfg. Co., did not make a determination of the airborne exposure level to inorganic arsenic for employees engaged in terminal burning, which is also called post burning. Employees are exposed to the hazard of an over exposure to inorganic arsenic which may cause cancer.

Issued

Dec 18, 2012

Abate by

Jan 8, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1018(e)(5)(i):     Each employee was not notified in writing within fifteen working days after the receipt of monitoring results, which represented that employee's exposure to inorganic arsenic.    (a) On or about 9/27/12, the employer, U.S. Battery Mfg. Co. did not notify in writing or by posting,  within 15 working days, of monitoring results for arsenic which represented the employee's exposure. Employees work in the terminal burning, also called post burning, area and are exposed to inorganic arsenic which may cause cancer.

Issued

Dec 18, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 0260

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1018(g)(1)(i):     Engineering and work practice controls were not instituted to reduce inorganic arsenic exposure to or below permissible exposure limit:  (a) On or about 7/25/12, the employer did not institute engineering and work pracice controls in the terminal burning area to reduce exposures to at or below the PEL. Employees are exposed to the hazard of over exposure to arsenic fumes and dusts.   An employee in the terminal burning area was exposed to arsenic at a level of 1.4 times the PEL of 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air as an 8 hour TWA.

Issued

Dec 18, 2012

Penalty

Initial $5,610 · Current $3,927 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(h)(1):     All surfaces were not maintained as free as practicable of accumulations of lead:    (a) On or about 7/25/12 in the break room, surfaces of the microwave and refrigerator showed significant contamination with lead. Sample results for the microwave handle and knob, and refrigerator handle showed 43 micrograms (ugms.) and 52 ugms. respectively. Employees are exposed to the hazard of ingesting lead.