OSHA Inspection: MIDWEST COMPOSITES, LLC

Issued

Mar 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $960 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.106(e)(2)(iv)(a): Category 1 or 2 flammable liquids, or Category 3 flammable liquids with a flashpoint below 100 �F (37.8 �C), were not kept in covered containers when not actually in use.    a. Midwest Composites, LLC located in Wapakoneta, Ohio:  On or about December 13, 2012, the employer did not ensure containers of flammable acetone were transported from the filling area to the work stations in covered containers.    b. Midwest Composites, LLC located in Wapakoneta, Ohio:  On or about December 13, 2012, the employer did not ensure containers of flammable acetone located on the workbench in the fiberglass spraying area were covered when not in use.    c. Midwest Composites, LLC located in Wapakoneta, Ohio:  On or about December 13, 2012, the employer did not ensure containers of flammable acetone  located on the workbench in the grinding area were covered when not in use.

Issued

Mar 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $960 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.106(e)(6)(ii): Category 1 or 2 flammable liquids, or Category 3 flammable liquids with a flashpoint below 100 F (37.8 C), were not be dispensed into containers with the nozzle and container electrically interconnected.     a. Midwest Composites, LLC located in Wapakoneta, Ohio:  On or about December 13, 2012, the employer did not ensure employees were bonding the dispensing nozzle on the 55 gallon drum of acetone to the portable containers when transferring the flammable liquid.

Issued

Mar 11, 2013

Abate by

Mar 20, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 22809135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(d)(1)(iii): The employer did not identify and evaluate the respiratory hazard(s) in the workplace.    a. Midwest Composites, LLC located in Wapakoneta, Ohio:  On or about December 13, 2012, the employer did not ensure personal air monitoring was conducted for employees exposed to fiberglass dust in the grinding area of the facility.    b. Midwest Composites, LLC located in Wapakoneta, Ohio:  On or about December 13, 2012, the employer did not ensure personal air monitoring was conducted for employees exposed to styrene in the fiberglass spraying area of the facility.

Issued

Mar 11, 2013

Abate by

Mar 20, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 22809135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1): The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace.     a. Midwest Composites, LLC located in Wapakoneta, Ohio:  On or about December 13, 2012, the employer did not ensure employees were provided with a medical evaluation prior to fit testing employees and requiring respirators to be used by employees working in the grinding and fiberglass spraying departments.

Issued

Mar 11, 2013

Abate by

Mar 20, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,200 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances 22809135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(1): The employer did not ensure that employees using a tight-fitting facepiece respirator passed an appropriate qualitative fit test (QLFT) or quantitative fit test (QNFT) as stated in this paragraph.    a. Midwest Composites, LLC located in Wapakoneta, Ohio:  On or about December 13, 2012, the employer did not ensure an employee was fit tested prior to being required to wear the half face respirator in the fiberglass spraying area.

Issued

Mar 11, 2013

Abate by

Mar 20, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,200 Reduced

Hazardous substances 22809135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(g)(1)(i)(A): The employer did not prohibit respirators with tight fitting facepieces to be worn by employees who have facial hair that comes between the sealing surface of the facepiece and the face or that interferes with valve function.      a. Midwest Composites, LLC located in Wapakoneta, Ohio:  On or about December 13, 2012, the employer did not ensure employees who were required to wear tight fitting respirators in the grinding area were clean shaven.

Issued

Mar 11, 2013

Abate by

Mar 20, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances 22809135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(1): The employer did not ensure that each employee could demonstrate knowledge of at least the following in sections (k)(1)(i) thru (k)(1)(vii):    a. Midwest Composites, LLC located in Wapakoneta, Ohio:  On or about December 13, 2012, the employer did not ensure employees required to wear half face and full face respirators while performing work in the fiberglass spraying and grinding areas were provided information and training on the following topics:    1. How to recognize medical signs or symptoms that may limit or prevent the effective use of respirators;    2. How to inspect the seals of the respirator.

Issued

Mar 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.151(c): Where the eyes or body of any person may be 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. Midwest Composites, LLC located in Wapakoneta, Ohio:  On or about December 13, 2012, the employer did not ensure an eyewash station was available in the fiberglass spraying department where employees were exposed to splash hazards from a corrosive catalyst, Luperox DDM-9 which contains 2- butanone peroxide and hydrogen peroxide.

Issued

Mar 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,400 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(5)(i): The employer did not ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace is labeled, tagged, or marked with the identity of the hazardous chemical(s) contained therein.    a. Midwest Composites, LLC located in Wapakoneta, Ohio:  On or about December 13, 2012, the employer did not ensure plastic containers of acetone located in the fiberglass spraying area were marked as to the identity of the substance in the containers.    b. Midwest Composites, LLC located in Wapakoneta, Ohio:  On or about December 13, 2012, the employer did not ensure plastic containers of acetone located in the grinding area were marked as to the identity of the substance in the containers.

Issued

Mar 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(5)(ii): The employer did not ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace was labeled, tagged, or marked with the appropriate hazard warnings, or alternatively, words, pictures, symbols, or combination thereof, which provided 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, provided employees with the specific information regarding the physical and health hazards of the hazardous chemical.    a. Midwest Composites, LLC located in Wapakoneta, Ohio:  On or about December 13, 2012, the employer did not ensure plastic containers of acetone located in the fiberglass spraying area were marked as to the physical and health hazards of the substance in the containers.    b. Midwest Composites, LLC located in Wapakoneta, Ohio:  On or about December 13, 2012, the employer did not ensure plastic containers of acetone located in the grinding area were marked as to the physical and health hazards of the substance in the containers.

Issued

Mar 11, 2013

Abate by

Mar 20, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances 22809135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1): Employers did not provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment, and whenever a new physical or health hazard the employees have not previously been trained about was introduced into their work area. Information and training was not designed to cover categories of hazards (e.g., flammability, carcinogenicity) or specific chemicals. Chemical-specific information was not available through labels and material safety data sheets.    a. Midwest Composites, LLC located in Wapakoneta, Ohio:  On or about December 13, 2012, the employer did not provide employees spraying fiberglass and sanding fiberglass parts with the following information and training on the following topics:    1. Physical and health hazards of fiberglass dust, styrene, and catalyst;    2. Explanation of the chemical labeling system;    3. Explanation of the SDSs and their location.

Issued

Mar 11, 2013

Abate by

Jun 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,600 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(a)(2): An employee's exposure to any substance in Table Z-1, the exposure limit of which is not preceded by a "C", shall not exceed the 8-hour Time Weighted Average given for that substance any 8-hour work shift of a 40-hour work week.    a. Midwest Composites, LLC located in Wapakoneta, Ohio:  On or about December 13, 2012, the employer did not ensure employees performing grinding operations in the grinding area were not overexposed to total dust.  Employees performing the grinding operation were exposed to total dust at an 8 hour time weighted average concentration of 19.80 mg/m3 which exceeded OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 15 mg/m3.

Issued

Mar 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(e): To achieve compliance with paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, administrative or engineering controls were not first determined and implemented whenever feasible.     a. Midwest Composites, LLC located in Wapakoneta, Ohio:  On or about December 13, 2012, the employer did not ensure administrative or engineering controls were implemented to protect employees performing grinding operations in the grinding area from being overexposed to total dust.  Employees performing the grinding operation were exposed to total dust at an 8 hour time weighted average concentration of 19.80 mg/m3 which exceeded OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 15 mg/m3.