OSHA Inspection: GEA HEAT EXCHANGERS, INCORPORATED, PHE DIVISION

Issued

Feb 19, 2013

Abate by

Mar 24, 2013

Penalty

Initial $5,000 · Current $3,250 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(c)(1):  A continuing, effective hearing conservation program as described in 29 CFR 1910.95(c) through (o) was not instituted when employee noise exposures equaled or exceeded an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) sound level of 85 dBA or, equivalently, a dose of fifty percent:    (a) Blasting Operation - The employer did not establish an effective hearing conservation program in that all elements of a hearing conservation program did not exist.  Initial noise monitoring was not performed, and annual training and audiograms were not provided.  The employee was exposed to noise at a dose of 116% which exceeded the permissible daily noise exposure of 50% (85 dBA) during the 371 minutes of personal sampling conducted on October 18, 2012.  The employee's average noise exposure was approximately 91.1 dBA.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled time of 109 minutes of the employee's shift.  The primary health effect of overexposure to noise is hearing loss.    Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Feb 19, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,550 · Current $1,657 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1660

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.106(e)(6)(i): Adequate precautions were not taken to prevent the ignition of flammable vapors:    (a)  Outdoor Storage Area - One 55 gallon drum of methanol was not grounded, on or about August 21, 2012.    No abatement certification or documentation required.

Issued

Feb 19, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1660

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.106(e)(6)(ii): Class I liquids were dispensed into containers without the nozzle and container electrically interconnected:    (a)  Outdoor Storage Area - One 55 gallon drum of methanol was not provided with a bonding strap to electrically interconnect to the container being filled from the drum, on or about August 21, 2012.    No abatement certification or documentation required.

Issued

Feb 19, 2013

Abate by

Mar 24, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,000 · Current $1,950 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.137(b)(2)(viii): Electrical protective equipment was not subjected to periodic electrical tests that were conducted in accordance with Table I-5 and Table I-6:    (a) GEA Heat Exchangers, Incorporated, PHE Division - The employer did not conduct electrical testing of the insulating gloves every 6 months, on or about October 3, 2012.    Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Feb 19, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,000 · Current $1,950 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(B): The employer's energy control procedures did not include specific procedural steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy;    (a) GEA Heat Exchangers, Incorporated, PHE Division - The employer's machine specific procedure for the Betenbender press brake did not include information on blocking or securing the upper ram, on or about October 3, 2012.    (b) GEA Heat Exchangers, Incorporated, PHE Division - The employer's machine specific procedures for the APT presses did not include information on engaging the bolster safety lock mechanism to prevent ram movement, on or about October 3, 2012.    No abatement certification or documentation required.

Issued

Feb 19, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6)(i): The employer did not conduct a periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually to ensure that the procedure and the requirements of this standard were being followed:    (a) GEA Heat Exchangers, Incorporated, PHE Division - The employer did not perform internal audits to ensure de-energization procedures were being properly implemented, on or about October 3, 2012.    No abatement certification or documentation required.

Issued

Feb 19, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.333(b)(2)(i): The employer did not maintain a written copy of the procedures outlined in paragraph (b)(2) and did not make it available for inspection by employees:    (a) GEA Heat Exchangers, Incorporated, PHE Division - The employer did not maintain a written copy of the electrical safe work practices contained in 29 CFR 1910.333(b)(2), on or about October 3, 2012.    No abatement certification or documentation required.

Issued

Feb 19, 2013

Abate by

Mar 24, 2013

Penalty

Initial $5,000 · Current $3,250 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(3)(ii): Point(s) of operation of machinery were not guarded to prevent employee(s) from having any part of their body in the danger zone(s) during operating cycle(s):    (a) Assembly Area - The Betenbender press brake did not have point of operation guarding.  The press had one foot pedal, which the press operator used to cycle the press, but the helper had no foot pedal and no other protection from the point of operation when they assisted the operator, on or about October 3, 2012.    Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Feb 19, 2013

Penalty

Initial $4,000 · Current $2,600 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(3)(ii): Employee training did not include the physical, health, simple asphyxiation, combustible dust, and pyrophoric gas hazards, as well as hazards not otherwise classified, of the chemicals in the work area:    (a) Painting Operation - The employer did not provide training on the physical and health hazards of the paints and zinc powder, on or about October 3, 2012.    No abatement certification or documentation required.

Issued

Feb 19, 2013

Abate by

Mar 24, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 0440Z100

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1): The employer did not develop and implement a written respiratory protection program with required worksite-specific procedures and elements for required respirator use:    (a) GEA Heat Exchangers, Incorporated, PHE Division - The employer did not develop a written respiratory protection program, on or about August 21, 2012.    Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Feb 19, 2013

Abate by

Mar 24, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 0440Z100

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(m)(2)(i): The employer did not establish a record of the qualitative and quantitative fit tests administered to an employee which included the information required by 29 CFR 1910.134(m)(2)(i)(A) through (m)(2)(i)(E):    (a) GEA Heat Exchangers, Incorporated, PHE Division - The employer's fit test records did not include the type of fit test performed, the pass/fail results for qualitative fit tests, and the make, model, style and size of the respirator tested, on or about October 3, 2012.    Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Feb 19, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 0689

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(d)(2)(i): The employer did not perform initial monitoring to determine the 8-hour time-weighted average exposure to chromium (VI) for each employee on the basis of a sufficient number of personal breathing zone air samples to accurately characterize full shift exposure on each shift, for each job classification, in each work area:    (a) Welding Operations - The employer did not conduct initial air monitoring for hexavalent chromium for employees welding on stainless steel, on or about August 21, 2012.    No abatement certification or documentation required.