OSHA Inspection: GRAFTECH INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.

Issued

Feb 11, 2013

Abate by

May 31, 2013

Penalty

Initial $5,100 · Current $5,100

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(c):     Covers and/or guardrails were not provided to protect personnel from the hazards of open pits, tanks, vats, ditches, etc.    (a) Bake Department - Furnace 532:  An employee was exposed to a fall hazard of eight feet while loading carbon billets into a furnace while standing on the carbon billets that had already been set in place as observed on September 26, 2012.    ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED.

Issued

Feb 11, 2013

Abate by

Feb 22, 2013

Penalty

Initial $5,100 · Current $5,100

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(h)(1):     Where hazards were present or were likely to be present from skin or eye contact with chromium (VI), the employer did not provide appropriate personal protective clothing and equipment at no cost to employees, and did not ensure that employees used such clothing and equipment:    (a)  Sager Building Weld Shop:  Employees with exposure to Hexavalent Chromium were not provided protective clothing at no cost to the employee.  An employee (Welder) was exposed to Hexavalent Chromium during the welding of stainless steel at an 8-hour Time Weighted Average of 0.01 milligrams per cubic meter of air, which is 1.9 times the Permissible Exposure Level.  The employee wears his own work clothes to conduct this operation as determined on October 17, 2012.    ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

Issued

Feb 11, 2013

Abate by

Feb 22, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(h)(2)(ii):     The employer did not ensure that no employee removed chromium (VI)-contaminated protective clothing or equipment from the workplace, except for those employees whose job it was to launder, clean, maintain, or dispose of such clothing or equipment:    (a)  Sager Building Weld Shop:  Employees with exposure to Hexavalent Chromium were taking their work clothing home to be laundered.  An employee (Welder) was exposed to Hexavalent Chromium during the welding of stainless steel at an 8-hour Time Weighted Average of 0.01 milligrams per cubic meter of air, which is 1.9 times the Permissible Exposure Level.  The employee was taking his work clothes home with him to be laundered as determined on October 17, 2012.    ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

Issued

Feb 11, 2013

Abate by

Feb 22, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(j)(1)(i):     The employer did not ensure that all surfaces were maintained as free as practicable of accumulations of chromium (VI):    (a)  Sagger Building Weld Shop Office:  Employees were exposed to an ingestion hazard in that the table surface in front of a coffee pot was found to have hexavalent chromium contamination due to a lack of a proper cleaning program for the area.  An employee (Welder) was exposed to Hexavalent Chromium during the welding of stainless steel at an 8-hour Time Weighted Average of 0.01 milligrams per cubic meter of air, which is 1.9 times the Permissible Exposure Level.  The employee welds on stainless steel in the shop next to the office as determined on October 17, 2012.    (b)  Sagger Building Weld Shop Office:  Employees were exposed to an ingestion hazard in that the top surface of the water fountain was found to have hexavalent chromium contamination due to a lack of a proper cleaning program for the area.  An employee (Welder) was exposed to Hexavalent Chromium during the welding of stainless steel at an 8-hour Time Weighted Average of 0.01 milligrams per cubic meter of air, which is 1.9 times the Permissible Exposure Level.  The employee welds on stainless steel in the shop next to the office as determined on October 17, 2012.      ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

Issued

Feb 11, 2013

Abate by

Feb 22, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(l)(2)(i)(A):     The employer did not provide appropriate information and training for all employees exposed to chromium (VI), in that employees could not demonstrate knowledge of the contents of the Chromium (VI) standard, 29 CFR 1910.1026:    (a) Sagger Building Weld Shop - Employees with exposure to Hexavalent Chromium were unaware of the requirements to be provided protective clothing and to not remove contaminated clothing from the worksite.  An employee (Welder) was exposed to Hexavalent Chromium during the welding of stainless steel at an 8-hour Time Weighted Average of 0.01 milligrams per cubic meter of air, which is 1.9 times the Permissible Exposure Level.  The employee was providing his own work clothes during this exposure taking his work clothes home with him to be laundered as determined on October 17, 2012.    ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

Issued

Feb 11, 2013

Abate by

Feb 22, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,400 · Current $3,400

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1):     One or more methods of machine guarding was not provided to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as those created by point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks:    (a)  Sagger Building Weld Shop:  A Wells metal band saw (serial #11459) did not have a guard over the fourteen inch section of unused blade as documented on October 17, 2012.    ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

Issued

Feb 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,890 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(a)(8):      Every floor hole into which persons can accidentally walk were not guarded by either, a standard railing with standard toeboard on all exposed sides, or a floor hole cover of standard strength and construction:    (a) Graphite Department, Front of furnace 60: Employees were exposed to a floor hole while walking and working in front of the furnace.  The floor hole opening was approximately 4 inches wide x 11 inches long x 1 inch to 3 inches deep and was not guarded or covered, as determined on October, 3, 2012.    (b) Graphite Department, Front of furnace 91: Employees were exposed to a floor hole while walking and working in front of the furnace.  The floor hole opening was approximately 4 to 6 inches wide x 11 inches long x 2 to 3 inch deep and was not guarded or covered, as determined on October, 3, 2012.      Abatement Certification required for this item.

Issued

Feb 11, 2013

Abate by

Mar 8, 2013

Penalty

Initial $5,100 · Current $4,400 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(a):      Protective equipment was not used when necessary whenever hazards capable of causing injury and impairment were encountered:      (a) Graphite Department, Building 59: Employees were exposed to falls of 15 feet to the ground and did not use tieback type lanyards, or tie back straps while performing work on the center bus work, as determined on October 4, 2013.    (b) Transformer/Booster rooms:  Employees were exposed to a falls ranging from 6 to 15 feet while accessing and working on top of transformers and bus work.  Employees were not continuously tied off while performing such work, as determined on October 4, 2013.    Abatement Certification required for this item.

Issued

Feb 11, 2013

Abate by

Feb 22, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(c)(1)(iv):     The Exposure Control Plan was not reviewed and updated when necessary to reflect new or modified tasks and procedures which affect occupational exposure and to reflect new or revised employee positions with occupational exposure:    (a)  The site Bloodborne Pathogens program did not include employees and management who are responsible for rendering first aid on the list of positions with occupational exposure as determined on September 25, 2012.    ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

Issued

Feb 11, 2013

Abate by

Feb 22, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(c)(1)(ii)(B):     The employer's Exposure Control Plan did not include the schedule and method of implementation for 29 CFR 1910.1030(f), Hepatitis B Vaccination and Post-Exposure Evaluation and Follow-up:    (a)  The employer's exposure control plan did not include a description of the post exposure follow-up procedures to be followed for first aid providers that are exposed to blood or other potentially infected materials during the rendering of first aid on site as determined on September 25, 2012.    ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED.

Issued

Feb 11, 2013

Abate by

Mar 1, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.157(e)(4):     Stored pressure dry chemical portable fire extinguishers that require a 12 year hydrostatic test were not emptied and subjected to applicable maintenance procedures every 6 years:    (a)  Multiple dry chemical fire extinguishers throughout the site had not received their 6-year maintenance check as determined on September 21, 2012.    ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

Issued

Feb 11, 2013

Abate by

Mar 1, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.157(f)(2):     Portable fire extinguishers were not hydrostatically tested within the intervals specified in Table L1:    (a)  Multiple dry chemical fire extinguishers throughout the site had not been hydrostatically tested within the intervals specified in Table L1 as determined on September 21, 2012.    ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED