OSHA Inspection: PORTAGE CASTING & MOLDING, INC

Issued

Mar 15, 2013

Abate by

Jun 17, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,450 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in the that employees were exposed to combustible wood dust deflagration, explosion or other fire hazards while working at or near dust collectors and associated upstream equipment which were not adequately designed to prevent or minimize employee exposure in the event of a deflagration or other fire event:   On or about December 10, 2012, a Donaldson Torit Model 36 outdoor cyclone dust collector used collect combustible wood dust:  a) lacked means of deflagration propagation protection (isolation) for the  upstream indoor woodworking equipment, for the downstream indoor enclosureless return air filters, and for the material discharge bin below.  b) lacked means of spark detection downstream of the exhaust side of the collector to detect fire occurring within the dust collector and ensure that fire and combustion products did not make back into the building and into the enclosureless return air filters.  On or about December 10, 2012, the indoor enclosureless return air filter system used as a second stage to collect combustible wood dust and as a method of returning air back to the facility:  c) was located indoors within a partially enclosed room and in near proximity to an area of egress, areas occupied by personnel, and several flammable storage cabinets.  AMONG OTHER METHODS, FEASIBLE MEANS OF ABATEMENT INCLUDE ADHERING TO THE GUIDELINES IN THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATIONS STANDARD FOR THE PREVENTION OF FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS IN WOOD PROCESSING AND WOODWORKING FACILITIES (NFPA 664, 2012 ED.) SECTIONS 8.2.4; 8.2.2.6.4.2; 8.2.2.4.2; 8.2.2.5.1.4.  SPECIFICALLY:  FOR INSTANCE A); INSTALL PASSIVE OR ACTIVE ISOLATION DEVICES BOTH UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM OF THE DUST COLLECTOR CYCLONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH NFPA 69 STANDARD ON EXPLOSION PREVENTION SYSTEMS SUCH AS A BACKBLAST DAMPER, FLAME FRONT EXTINGUISHMENT, SLIDE GATE, FLAME FRONT DIVERTER, OR ABORT GATE (SEE NFPA 664 A.8.2.4.2 FOR A LIST OF COMMONLY USED ISOLATION DEVICES IN THE WOODWORKING INDUSTRY).  ALSO INSTALL A ROTARY VALVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH NFPA 69 TO ISOLATE THE MATERIAL DISCHARGE FROM THE COLLECTION BIN BELOW; OR INSTALL ADMINSTRATIVE CONTROLLS TO STRICTLY PROHIBIT EMPLOYEES FROM WORKING NEAR THE OPERATING DUST COLLECTOR.  FOR INSTANCE B);  PROVIDE A LISTED SPARK DETECTION SYSTEM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH NFPA 72 NATIONAL FIRE ALARM AND SIGNALING CODE, LOCATED ON THE EXHAUST SIDE OF THE DUST COLLECTOR AND EQUIP THE EXHAUST AIR DUCTING WITH A HIGH-SPEED ABORT GATE ACTIVATED BY THE SPARK DETECTION SYSTEM TO INTERCEPT AND DIVERT BURNING MATERIAL BEFORE IT CAN ENTER THE PLANT.  FOR INSTANCE C); PROVIDE A SECOND STAGE DUST COLLECTOR OUTDOORS PRIOR TO RETURNING AIR TO THE PLANT IN ACCORDANCE WITH NFPA 664; OR LOCATE THE INDOOR ENCLOSURELESS DUST COLLECTOR IN AN ISOLATED, NON-ENCLOSED AREA 20 FEET FROM ANY MEANS OF EGRESS, 20 FEET FROM AREAS ROUTINELY OCCUPIED BY PERSONNEL, AND REMOVE THE COLLECTED DUST AT LEAST DAILY.  Abatement certification and documentation are required for this item. Abatement Schedule  STEP 1 -A combination of administrative controls shall be implemented as an interim protective measure until feasible engineering and administrative controls can be permanently implemented.  STEP 2 -A written detailed plan of abatement shall be submitted to the Area Director outlining a schedule for the implementation of engineering and/or administrative measures to control employee exposures to the hazardous condition as referenced in this citation. This plan shall include, at a minimum, target dates for the following actions which must be consistent with the abatement dates required by this citation: (1)Evaluation of engineering/administrative control options; (2)Selection of optimum control methods and completion of design; (3)Procurement, installation and operation of selected control measures; (4)Testing and acceptance or modification/redesign of controls; All proposed control measures shall be approved for each particular use by a competent certified safety professional, professional engineer, or other technically qualified person. STEP 3 -Abatement shall have been completed by the implementation of feasible engineering and administrative controls upon verification of their effectiveness in achieving compliance. Date by Which Violation Must be Abated: STEP 1 30 Days by Which Violation Must be Abated: STEP 2 60 Days by Which Violation Must be Abated: STEP 3 90Days.

Issued

Mar 15, 2013

Abate by

May 1, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,450 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(c)(1): The employer did not administer a continuing, effective hearing conservation program as described in 29 CFR 1910.9(c) through (o) whenever employee noise exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level of 85 decibels measured on the A scale, or equivalently a dose of fifty percent:  A hearing conservation program was not implemented for employee abrasive blasting and grinding aluminum castings.  a)  Employee abrasive blasting aluminum castings was exposed to 101 dBA, as an 8 hour time weighed average.  Employee was sampled on October 22, 2012 and was sampled for 140 minutes, the remaining 360 minutes was calculated as 0 (zero) exposure time.  b)  Employee grinding aluminum castings was exposed to 89.2 dBA, as an 8 hour time weighed average.  Employee was sampled on November 27, 2012 and was sampled for 445 minutes, the remaining 35 minutes was calculated as 0 (zero) exposure time.

Issued

Mar 15, 2013

Abate by

May 1, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,450 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c): The employer did not develop and implement a written respiratory protection program with required worksite-specific procedures and elements for required respirator use:  A written respiratory protection program was not developed for:   a) employee wearing a supplied air respirator while abrasive blasting aluminum casting.  Employee silica exposure exceeded the permissible exposure limit for silica.  b) employee wearing a  half mask respirator while shaking out aluminum castings.

Issued

Mar 15, 2013

Abate by

May 1, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,450 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 medical evaluation was not given to employees wearing respiratory protection.

Issued

Mar 15, 2013

Abate by

May 1, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,450 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(1):  The employer did not ensure that employee(s) required to use a tight-fitting face piece respirator passed the appropriate qualitative fit test (QLFT) or quantitative fit test (QNFT):  Respiratory fit test was not given to employees wearing respiratory protection.

Issued

Mar 15, 2013

Abate by

May 1, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,450 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k): The employer did not provide comprehensive, understandable training which did not occur annually and/or more often if necessary:  Respiratory training was not given to employees wearing respiratory protection.

Issued

Mar 15, 2013

Abate by

May 1, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,450 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(c): An employee(s) was exposed to Silica Quartz in excess of the 8-hour time weighted average limits of 0.267 mg/m3 (35.5% silica quartz) listed in Table Z-3:  Employee was abrasive blasting aluminum castings with silica sand and was exposed to 13.98 mg/m3 silica quartz, as an 8 hour time weighed average.  The employee was sampled on October 22, 2012 and was sampled for 110 minutes, the remaining 370 minutes was calculated as 0 (zero) exposure time.

Issued

Mar 15, 2013

Abate by

Jan 31, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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):    Employee was abrasive blasting aluminum casting with silica sand and was exposed to 13.98 mg/m3 silica quartz, as an 8 hour time weighed average.  The employee was sampled on October 22, 2012 and was sampled for 110 minutes, the remaining 370 minutes was calculated as 0 (zero) exposure time.    Abatement normally will be multistep as follows:  STEP 1:  Effective respiratory protection shall be provide and used by exposed employees as an interim protective measure until feasible engineering and/or administrative controls can be implemented, or whenever such controls fail to reduce employee exposure to within exposure limits.  Abatement due 30 days from issuance date:  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 exposure to hazardous substance as referenced in this Citation.  This plan shall include, at a minimum, target dates for the following actions which must be consistent with the abatement dates required by this Citation:  1.  Evaluation of engineering/administrative control options;  2.  Selection of optimum control methods and completion of design;  3.  Procurement, installation, and operation of selected control measures; and  4.  Testing and acceptable or modification/redesign of controls.  All proposed control measures shall be approved for each particular use by a competent industrial hygienist or other technically qualified person.  Abatement due 60 days from issuance date:  Step 3:  Abatement shall have been completed by the implementation of feasible engineering and/or administrative controls upon verification of their effectiveness in achieving compliance.  Abatement due 90 days from issuance date:

Issued

Mar 15, 2013

Abate by

May 1, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,450 Reduced

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:  Employees were not provided information or training on the occupational health and safety of aluminum, silica, methylene bisphenyl isocyanate (MDI) and combustible dust.