OSHA Inspection: OMEGA PLASTICS CORPORATION

Issued

Jan 22, 2013

Abate by

Mar 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $5,400 · Current $3,240 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.138(a):     General requirements. Employers shall select and require employees to use appropriate hand protection when employees' hands are exposed to hazards such as those from skin absorption of harmful substances; severe cuts or lacerations; severe abrasions; punctures; chemical burns; thermal burns; and harmful temperature extremes.    a) Building 3, Produce Production: Employees that applied adhesive that contains 71% Hexane, which can be absorbed through the skin, were not required to use appropriate hand protection thus exposing employees to potential chemical exposure, on or about October 19, 2012.    b) Building 3, Lemos: Employees that must clean hot blades of plastic residue are exposed to lacerations but were not required to use appropriate hand protection thus exposing employees to potential laceration exposure, on or about September 18, 2012.

Issued

Jan 22, 2013

Abate by

Mar 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.138(b):     The employer did not base selection of appropriate hand protection on an evaluation of the performance characteristics of the hand protection relative to the tasks to be performed, conditions present, duration of use, and the hazards and potential hazards identified:    a) Ink, Building 8: Employees that diluted Ammonia, mixed inks and added inks to machines had had not been provided gloves that protect the employees' forearms, thus exposing employees to potential chemical exposure, on or about July 24, 2012.      b) Ink Building 3: Employees that diluted Ammonia, mixed inks and added inks to machines had not been provided gloves that protect the employees' forearms, thus exposing employees to potential chemical exposure, on or about July 24, 2012.

Issued

Jan 22, 2013

Abate by

Mar 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(a):     Application. Protective equipment, including personal protective equipment for eyes, face, head, and extremities, protective clothing, respiratory devices, and protective shields and barriers, shall be provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition wherever it is necessary by reason of hazards of processes or environment, chemical hazards, radiological hazards, or mechanical irritants encountered in a manner capable of causing injury or impairment in the function of any part of the body through absorption, inhalation or physical contact.    a) Ink, Building 8: Employees that diluted Ammonia, mixed inks and added inks to machines had not been provided protective clothing, thus exposing employees to a skin absorption hazard, on or about July 24, 2012.      b) Ink Building 3: Employees that diluted Ammonia, mixed inks and added inks to machines had not been provided protective clothing, thus exposing employees to a skin absorption hazard, on or about July 24, 2012.

Issued

Jan 22, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,700 · Current $1,620 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1):     The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employees' ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace:    a) Ink, Building 8: Employees that diluted Ammonia had not been provided Medical Evaluations prior to being required to wear  tight-fitting elastomeric respirators, on or about July 24, 2012.    b) Ink Building 3: Employees that diluted Ammonia had not been provided Medical Evaluations prior to being required to wear tight-fitting elastomeric respirators, on or about July 24, 2012.    Note:  The employer may discontinue an employees' medical evaluations when the employee is no longer required to use a respirator.

Issued

Jan 22, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,700 · Current $1,620 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.253(b)(2)(ii):     Inside of buildings, cylinders shall be stored in a well-protected, well-ventilated, dry location, at least 20 (6.1 m) feet from highly combustible materials such as oil or excelsior. Cylinders should be stored in definitely assigned places away from elevators, stairs, or gangways. Assigned storage spaces shall be located where cylinders will not be knocked over or damaged by passing or falling objects, or subject to tampering by unauthorized persons. Cylinders shall not be kept in unventilated enclosures such as lockers and cupboards.    (a) Building 3, Near Lemos Machines: Acetylene cylinders were stored without having a cage, chains or other means of support to prevent them from being knocked over in an area where industrial trucks are used, thus exposing employees to a fire hazard, on or about July 24, 2012.

Issued

Jan 22, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,700 · Current $1,620 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.253(b)(2)(iv):     Valve protection caps, where cylinder is designed to accept a cap, shall always be in place, hand-tight, except when cylinders are in use or connected for use.    (a) Building 3, Near Lemos Machines: An acetylene cylinder was stored without having a cap placed over the valve, thus exposing employees to a fire hazard on or about July 24, 2012.

Issued

Jan 22, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,600 · Current $2,160 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(g)(1)(iv)(C):     Flexible cords and cables were run through doorways, windows, or similar openings:    a) Ink Room: At the exit door a flexible cord was run from outside the door to a stand fan in the ink room, thus exposing employees to an electric shock hazard, on or about July 24, 2012.

Issued

Jan 22, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,700 · Current $1,620 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1):     Employers shall 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 have not previously been trained about is introduced into their work area. Information and training may be designed to cover categories of hazards (e.g., flammability, carcinogenicity) or specific chemicals. Chemical-specific information must always be available through labels and material safety data sheets.    a) Omega Buildings 3 and 8: New employees were not provided training on the hazards of the chemicals with which they worked, such as, but not limited to Ammonium Hydroxide and Potassium Hydroxide in Inks and Hexane and Heptane in adhesive, thus exposing the employees to chemical exposure hazards on or about October 19, 2012.

Issued

Jan 22, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1):     A written respiratory protection program that included the provisions in 29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1)(i) - (ix) with worksite specific procedures was not established and implemented for required respirator use:    a) Ink, Building 8: Employees that diluted Ammonia were required to wear tight-fitting elastomeric respirators but a written Respiratory Protection Program was not established nor implemented, on or about July 24, 2012.    b) Ink Building 3: Employees that diluted Ammonia were required to wear tight-fitting elastomeric respirators but a written Respiratory Protection Program was not established nor implemented, on or about July 24, 2012.

Issued

Jan 22, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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) Ink, Building 8: Employees that diluted Ammonia were required to wear tight-fitting elastomeric respirators but fit testing had not been conducted, on or about July 24, 2012.    b) Ink Building 3: Employees that diluted Ammonia were required to wear tight-fitting elastomeric respirators but fit testing had not been conducted, on or about July 24, 2012.

Issued

Jan 22, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(3):     The employer shall provide the training prior to requiring the employee to use a respirator in the workplace.    a) Ink, Building 8: Employees that diluted Ammonia were required to wear tight-fitting elastomeric respirators but respirator training was not provided, on or about July 24, 2012.    b) Ink Building 3: Employees that diluted Ammonia were required to wear tight-fitting elastomeric respirators but respirator training was not provided , on or about July 24, 2012.

Issued

Jan 22, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.141(d)(1):     General. Washing facilities shall be maintained in a sanitary condition.    a) Building 8, Restroom: The restroom was not maintained in a sanitary condition, on or about July 24, 2012.    b) Building 3, Restroom: The restroom was not maintained in a sanitary condition, on or about July 24, 2012.

Issued

Jan 22, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.141(d)(2)(iii):     Hand soap or similar cleansing agents shall be provided.    a) Building 8, Restroom: The restroom was not provided with soap, on or about July 24, 2012.