OSHA Inspection: SUMMITVILLE TILES, INCORPORATED

Issued

Oct 16, 2012

Abate by

Mar 31, 2013

Penalty

Initial $6,300 · Current $3,470 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(c):     An employee was exposed to silica in excess of the calculated 8-hour time weighted average limit of 0.637 mg/m3 listed in Table Z-3:    On or about August 29, 2012, at least one employee grinding brick on the trim grinder was exposed to crystaline silica dust at an eight hour time weighted average of 3.233 mg/m3, which is 5 times over the calculated Permisslbe Exposure Level of 0.637 mg/m3.  The sampling period lasted for 476 minutes with the 4 minutes not sampled being counted as zero exposure.      Engineering and administrative controls usually effective in these circumstances include but are not limited to the following:     1.  Increase local exhaust ventilation   2.  Prohibit the use of compressed air for cleaning  3.  Prohibit the practice of dry sweeping    	    Abatement Steps     STEP 1:  Effective respirators shall be provided and used by all employee(s) as an interim measure.  Abatement must be completed by ***5 days***.      STEP 2:  Submit to the Area Director a written detailed plan of abatement outlining a schedule for the implementation of engineering and/or administrative measures to control employee exposures as referenced in this citation.  This plan shall include, at a minimum, target dates for the following actions which must be consistent with the dates required by this citation.     a)  Evaluation of the extent and location of the hazard source.     b)  Evaluation of control measure options.     c)  Selection of optimum control method(s).     d)  Determination of control measure design.     e)  Ordering and delivery of equipment and material(s).     f)  Installation of control measures.     g)  Training of employees in proper operation and maintenance of newly-implemented control measures.     h)  Assurance of effective performance of control measures.    All proposed control measures shall be evaluated for each particular use by a technically qualified person.  Abatement must be completed by ***30 days***.     STEP 3:  Correction should have been completed by the implementation of feasible engineering and/or administrative controls and their effectiveness in achieving compliance.  Abatement must be completed by ***60 days***.

Issued

Oct 16, 2012

Abate by

Mar 31, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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):    On or about August 29, 2012, at least one employee grinding brick on the trim grinder was exposed to crystaline silica dust at an eight hour time weighted average of 3.233 mg/m3, which is 5 times over the calculated Permisslbe Exposure Level of 0.637 mg/m3.  The sampling period lasted for 476 minutes with the 4 minutes not sampled being counted as zero exposure.  The employee was not required to wear respiratory protection and the ventilation controls on trim grinder were not adequate to control the exposure.

Issued

Oct 16, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,700 · Current $1,485 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1):     Employees were not provided effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment and whenever a new hazard that the employees had not been previously trained about was introduced into their work area:    Temporary employees were not provided with information and training about the chemicals in their work areas including but not limited to silica dust at the time of their initial assignment.

Issued

Oct 16, 2012

Abate by

Oct 26, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(c)(2):     The employer did not inform exposed employees, by posting danger signs or by any other equally effective means, of the existence and location of and the danger posed by the permit spaces:    On or about August 29, 2012, signs were not posted around the material bins located by the extruder.