OSHA Inspection: GREAT WESTERN PRODUCTS COMPANY, LLC

Issued

Jun 28, 2013

Abate by

Jul 18, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $840 Reduced

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:    Employees working within the salt mixing room were required to wear Radnor N95 filtering facepiece respirators while mixing popcorn salt.  The employer did not provide employees with medical evaluations prior to requiring the usage of the respirators.

Issued

Jun 28, 2013

Abate by

Jul 18, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(2)(i): The employer did not determine if the voluntary use of a respirator did not in itself create a hazard:  The maintenance employee was issued a North 7700 half mask respirator to be used on a voluntary basis for maintenance activities.  The employer did not ensure that the voluntary usage of the respirator did not in itself create a hazard as the respirator was improperly stored and was not maintained in a sanitary condition.

Issued

Jun 28, 2013

Abate by

Jul 18, 2013

Penalty

Initial $140 · Current $56 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1):     The employer did not develop, implement, and/or maintain at the workplace a written hazard communication program which describes how the criteria specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) will be met    Employees working within the salt mixing room were working with powdered butter flavoring containing acetoin.  The employer did not maintain a hazard communication program for the hazardous chemicals used onsite.      Great Western Products Company, Inc. was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 312892532, citation number 1 , item number 4a, and was affirmed as a final order on June 22nd, 2010, with respect to a workplace located at 2047 E 1350 North Rd., Assumption, IL 62510.

Issued

Jun 28, 2013

Abate by

Jul 18, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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 working within the salt mixing room were working with powdered butter flavoring containing acetoin.  The employer had not provided employees with hazard communication training on the butter flavoring prior to their initial job assignment.  Great Western Products Company, Inc. was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 312892532, citation number 1 , item number 4b, and was affirmed as a final order on June 22nd, 2010, with respect to a workplace located at 2047 E 1350 North Rd., Assumption, IL 62510.

Issued

Jun 28, 2013

Abate by

Jul 18, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(d)(2):   The employer did not verify, through a written certification, that the required workplace hazard assessment had been performed:  Employees working in the salt room wore respiratory protection and the employer did not verify through written certification that a workplace hazard assessment had been performed.

Issued

Jun 28, 2013

Abate by

Jul 18, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1):   A written respiratory protection program that included the provisions in 29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1)(i) - (ix) with worksite specific procedures was not established and implemented for required respirator use:  Employees working within the salt mixing room were required to wear Radnor N95 filtering facepiece respirators while mixing popcorn salt.  The employer did not implement and maintain a written respiratory protection program.

Issued

Jun 28, 2013

Abate by

Jul 18, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(2)(ii): The employer did not establish and implement those elements of a written program necessary to ensure that any employee using a respirator voluntarily was medically able to use that respirator, and that the respirator was cleaned, stored, and maintained so that its use does not present a health hazard to the user:  The maintenance employee was issued a North 7700 half mask respirator to be used on a voluntary basis for maintenance activities.  The employer failed to implement the necessary elements of a written program as the respirator was found in the maintenance area improperly stored and in an unsanitary condition.

Issued

Jun 28, 2013

Abate by

Jul 18, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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; including a reasonable estimate of employee exposures to respiratory hazards and identification of the contaminant's chemical state and physical form:  Employees working in the salt mixing room and in maintenance were issued respirators and the employer failed to provide a reasonable estimate of employee exposure to respiratory hazards posed by the butter flavoring and salt used in the salt room.

Issued

Jun 28, 2013

Abate by

Jul 18, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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:  Employees working within the salt mixing room were required to wear Radnor N95 filtering facepiece respirators while mixing popcorn salt.  The employer failed to ensure that employees were fit tested prior to intial use of their respirators.

Issued

Jun 28, 2013

Abate by

Jul 18, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(h)(1)(i): Respirators issued for the exclusive use of an employee were not cleaned and disinfected as often as necessary to be maintained in a sanitary condition:   In the maintenance area an employee's North 7700 half mask respirator outfitted with organic vapor cartridges was found visibly contaminated and was not maintained in a sanitary condition.

Issued

Jun 28, 2013

Abate by

Jul 18, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(h)(2)(i):   Respirators were not stored to protect them from damage, contamination, dust, sunlight, extreme temperatures, excessive moisture, and damaging chemicals or  were not packed or stored to prevent deformation of the facepiece and exhalation valve:  In the maintenance area an employee's North 7700 half mask respirator outfitted with organic vapor cartridges was found hanging from a peg and was not protected from damage dust, and contamination.  The employer did not ensure that the respirator was properly stored and protected.

Issued

Jun 28, 2013

Abate by

Jul 18, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(3):   Training was not provided prior to requiring employees to use a respirator in the workplace:  Employees working within the salt mixing room were required to wear Radnor N95 filtering facepiece respirators while mixing popcorn salt containing the butter flavoring acetoin.  The employer did not provide employees with training on respirator usage prior to requiring their usage in the workplace.