OSHA Inspection: LIBERTY COATING ALABAMA LLC

Issued

2013-03-25 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-27 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1320.00 · Current $792.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(g)(1): The employer did not establish and maintain an audiometric testing program as provided by 29 CFR 1910.95(g) by making audiometric testing available to all employees whose exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels:      (a) On or about 01/09/13 - Pipe Reaming Area, the employee conducting pipe reaming and grinding work was exposed to continuous noise of 95.53% of the allowable 8-hour-time-weighted average sound level of 85 dBA or an equivalent sound level of 89.7 dBA during the sampling period of 476 minutes on 01/17/13. Zero exposure is assumed for the rest of the shift.    (b) On or about 01/09/13 - Interior Paint Coating Station, the employee conducting interior pipe coating work was exposed to continuous noise of 97.96% of the allowable 8-hour-time-weighted average sound level of 85 dBA or an equivalent sound level of 90.2 dBA during the sampling period of 454 minutes on 01/17/13. Zero exposure is assumed for the rest of the shift.    (c) On or about 01/09/13 - Interior Paint Coating Station, the employee conducting interior pipe coating work was exposed to continuous noise of 76.20% of the allowable 8-hour-time-weighted average sound level of 85 dBA or an equivalent sound level of 88.0 dBA during the sampling period of 480 minutes on 01/17/13.     (d) On or about 01/09/13 - Sandblasting Area, the employee conducting sandblasting work was exposed to continuous noise of 127.70% of the allowable 8-hour-time-weighted average sound level of 85 dBA or an equivalent sound level of 91.9 dBA during the sampling period of 480 minutes on 01/23/13.

Issued

2013-03-25 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-27 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1320.00 · Current $792.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9135

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) On or about 01/09/13 - Sandblasting Area, 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 during sandblasting operations.  See Citation 1, Items 4a and 4b for exposure information.    (b) On or about 01/09/13 - Pipe Reaming Area, 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 during pipe reaming and clearing operations.    (c) On or about 01/09/13 -  Paint Mixing Area, 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 during paint mixing operations.

Issued

2013-03-25 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2200.00 · Current $1320.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9685

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) was dispensed into containers where the nozzle and container were not electrically interconnected:      (a) On or about 01/09/13 - Paint Mixing Area of Plant, a 55-gallon drum of acetone was being dispensed into containers without being electrically interconnected.

Issued

2013-03-25 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-06-26 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1320.00 · Current $792.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(c): An employee was exposed to inert or nuisance dust, total dust in excess of the 8-hour time weighted average limit of 15 mg/m3 listed in Table Z-3:      (a) On or about 01/09/13 - Sandblasting Area, an employee conducting sandblasting work is exposed to an 8-hour time weighted average of 36 mg/m3 for inert or nuisance dust, total dust. Employee was sampled for 420 minutes on or about 01/17/13.  Zero percent exposure was assumed for the remainder of the shift.

Issued

2013-03-25 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-06-26 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 9135

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):      (a) On or about 01/09/13 - Sandblasting Area, feasible administrative or engineering controls were not implemented to reduce employee exposure to inert or nuisance dust, total dust. Sampling was conducted for 420 minutes on or about 01/17/13.  Zero exposure was assumed for the remainder of the shift.    Abatement Schedule    Step 1    -    Effective respiratory protection shall be provided to 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 permissible exposure limits.    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 hazardous substances 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 industrial hygienist or other technically qualified person. 30-day progress reports are required during the abatement period.    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.

Issued

2013-03-25 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 0040

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(d)(1)(i): Selection of appropriate respirators was not based on the respiratory hazard(s) to which the worker was exposed and user factors that affect respirator performance and reliability:      (a) On or about 01/09/13 - Paint Mixing Area, an employee exposed to respiratory hazards from exposure to acetone was not wearing an appropriate respirator while mixing acetone and coatings.

Issued

2013-03-25 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-27 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 00409135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(2): Employee(s) using tight-fitting facepiece respirators were not fit tested prior to initial use of the respirator:      (a) On or about 01/09/13 - Pipe Reaming Area, the employer did not provide a respirator fit test for an employee exposed to nuisance total dust while conducting pipe work.      (b) On or about 01/09/13 - Paint Mixing Area, the employer did not provide a respirator fit test for an employee exposed to nuisance total dust and acetone while conducting paint and coating mixing work.

Issued

2013-03-25 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 00409135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(g)(1)(i)(A): Respirators with tight-fitting facepieces were worn by employees who had facial hair that came between the sealing surface of the facepiece and the face or that interfered with valve function:      (a) On or about 01/09/13 - Pipe Reaming Area, an employee conducting pipe reaming work had facial hair that came between the sealing surface of the facepiece.     (b) On or about 01/09/13 - Paint Mixing Area, an employee conducting paint mixing work had facial hair that came between the sealing surface of the facepiece.