OSHA Inspection: PEQUANNOCK WATER TREATMENT

Issued

2013-01-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-02-19 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2100.00 · Current $1260.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.37(b)(2):     Each exit was not clearly visible and marked by a sign reading "Exit":    a) Control Room: Exit door was not marked by a sign "Exit", thus exposing employees to potential fire hazard during an emergency situation, on or about 09/12/12.    b) Clarion Pump Room: Exit door was not marked by a sign "Exit", thus exposing employees to potential fire hazard during an emergency situation, on or about 12/12/12.    c) Laboratory:  Exit door was not marked by a sign "Exit", thus exposing employees to potential fire hazard during an emergency situation, on or about 12/21/12.    d) Chlorination Room: Exit door was not marked by a sign "Exit", thus exposing employees to potential fire hazard during an emergency situation, on or about 12/21/12.

Issued

2013-01-23 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.37(b)(4):     Signs were not posted along the exit access indicating the direction of travel to the nearest exit and exit discharge when the direction of travel to the exit or exit discharge was not immediately apparent:    a) D-building basement / Pipe Gallery: Exit direction signs were not installed to assist employees in a case of emergency evacuation, thus exposing employees to potential fire hazard during an emergency situation, on or about 11/29/12.    b) Chlorination building / 3rd and 4th floors: Exit direction signs were not installed to assist employees in a case of emergency evacuation, thus exposing employees to potential fire hazard during an emergency situation, on or about 12/12/12.

Issued

2013-01-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-12 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3500.00 · Current $2100.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(d)(3)(i)(D):     Relief system design and design basis were not included into the written Process Safety Information pertaining to the equipment in the process:    a) Facility: Barksdale Relief Valve design and design basis were not included into the process safety Information, thus exposing employees to potential chlorine release hazard, on or about 01/07/2013.

Issued

2013-01-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-12 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3500.00 · Current $2100.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(e)(3)(i):       The process hazard analysis did not address the hazards of the process:    a)  Chlorination Building: The process hazard analysis did not fully address the hazards of loss of electricity and its effects, thus exposing employees to potential chlorine release hazard, on or about 12/21/12.    b)  Chlorination Room: The process hazard analysis did not address the Chlorine Emergency Shut-off Valve failure, thus exposing employees to potential chlorine release hazard, on or about 12/21/12.

Issued

2013-01-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-03-12 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3500.00 · Current $2100.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(e)(5):     The employer did not document the resolution of Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) recommendations and did not assure that the recommendations are resolved in a timely manner:     a) Pretreatment building: Employer did not document the resolution of PHA recommendations # 1a and 7k - Installation of outdoor fire hydrant, thus exposing employees to potential fire hazard during an emergency situation, on or about 01/05/2013.    b) Chlorination building: Employer did not assure that recommendation # 5b of the PHA "What If" table - Installation of pressure gauge and switch on liquid Chlorine pipe - was resolved in a timely manner, thus exposing employees to potential chlorine release hazard, on or about 01/05/2013.      c) Chlorination building: Employer did not document the resolution of PHA recommendation # 5d of the "What If" table  - Installation of additional chlorine leak detector for chlorine gas piping, thus exposing employees to potential chlorine release hazard, on or about 01/05/2013.    d) Chlorination building: Employer did not document the resolution of PHA recommendations # 7c and 7d of the "What If" table  - Repair or replacement of chlorine leak detector, thus exposing employees to potential chlorine release hazard, on or about 01/05/2013.

Issued

2013-01-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-12 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3500.00 · Current $2100.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii):     Procedures did not clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, and techniques to be utilized for the control of hazardous energy, and the means to enforce compliance including, but not limited to, 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(A) - A specific statement of the intended use of the procedure, (c)(4)(ii)(B) - Specific procedural steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy, (c)(4)(ii)(C) - Specific procedural steps for the placement, removal and transfer of lockout devices or tagout devices and the responsibility for them, and (c)(4)(ii)(D) - Specific requirements for testing a machine or equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of lockout devices, tagout devices, and other energy control measures:    a) Facility: Energy control procedures established and documented in the Lockout / Tagout program is not site specific and does not describe procedural steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing specific machines or equipment to control hazardous energy, specific procedural steps for the placement, removal and transfer of lockout devices or tagout devices and the responsibility for them, and specific requirements for testing a  machine or equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of lockout devices, tagout devices, and other energy control measure, thus exposing employees to potential chlorine release and/or electrical hazards, on or about 01/05/13.

Issued

2013-01-23 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2100.00 · Current $1260.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.151(c):     Where employees were exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body were not provided within the work area for immediate emergency use:    a) QC Laboratory: Provided squeeze bottles were not a suitable facility for emergency eye wash in a location where employees used corrosive materials including water solutions of Potassium Hydroxide and Sulfuric Acid, thus exposing employees to potential chemical burn hazard to the eyes, on or about 09/12/2012.

Issued

2013-01-23 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3500.00 · Current $2100.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.253(b)(2)(ii):     Inside of buildings, cylinders were not stored at least 20 feet (6.1 m) from highly combustible materials such as oil or excelsior:    a): Maintenance Area: Acetylene cylinder was stored in a distance of about 3 feet from Waste Oil and about 6 feet from Gear Oil, thus exposing employees to potential fire hazard, on or about 11/29/12.

Issued

2013-01-23 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.253(b)(4)(i):     Oxygen cylinders shall not be stored near highly combustible material, especially oil and grease:    a) Maintenance Area: Oxygen cylinder was stored near Waste Oil, thus exposing employees to potential fire hazard, on or about 11/29/12.

Issued

2013-01-23 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1785.00 · Current $1071.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(f):     Each service, feeder and branch circuit, at its disconnecting means or over current device, was not legibly marked to indicate its purpose, nor located and arranged so the purpose was evident:    a) Maintenance Area: An electrical panel used by employees to de-energize meters was not legibly marked identifying the equipment powered by each breaker, thus exposing employees to potential electrical hazard, on or about 11/29/2012.

Issued

2013-01-23 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2100.00 · Current $1260.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(b)(1):     Unused openings in boxes, cabinets, or fittings were not effectively closed:    a) Chlorine Facility / Containment Area:  An electrical switch box powered with 110 V had one (1) unused opening, thus exposing employees to potential electrical hazard, on or about 12/12/2012.    b) Chlorine Facility / Chlorine Storage Room: Air Conditioning system control box had one (1) unused opening, thus exposing employees to potential electrical hazard, on or about 12/12/2012.    c) Chlorine Facility / Chlorination Room: Temperature control box had one (1) unused opening, thus exposing employees to potential electrical hazard, on or about 12/21/2012.

Issued

2013-01-23 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6)(ii):     The employer did not ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace was labeled, tagged or marked with the product identifier and words, pictures, symbols, or combination thereof, which provide at least general information regarding the hazards of the chemicals and which, in conjunction with the other information immediately available to employees under the hazard communication program, would provide employees with the specific information regarding the physical and health hazards of the hazardous chemical    a) C-building, 1st floor: A container with about 25 Gallons of Superfloc A1883RS was not labeled, thus exposing employees to potential chemical hazard, on or about 09/12/12.