OSHA Inspection: SPECTRUM MACHINE INC.

Issued

Jul 31, 2013

Abate by

Sep 4, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $1,750 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(d)(1):  A representative monitoring program was not developed and implemented when information indicated that an employee's exposure may equal or exceed an 8 hour time weighted average of 85 DBA:       Employees were required to wear earplugs while working on the furnace deck and no noise monitoring was conducted to determine if a comprehensive hearing conservation program was required.

Issued

Jul 31, 2013

Abate by

Sep 4, 2013

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $2,450 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1):  A written respiratory protection program that included the provisions in 1910.134(c)(1)(i) - (ix) with worksite specific procedures was not established and implemented for required respirator use:       No written program was developed for employees who were overexposed to lead and copper and who are required to wear respirators while working on the casting deck.

Issued

Jul 31, 2013

Abate by

Sep 4, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $1,750 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 is fit-tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace:       At least three employees who were required to use respiratory protection while working in the casting and pouring department were not provided a medical evaluation.

Issued

Jul 31, 2013

Abate by

Sep 4, 2013

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $2,450 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(1): The employer did not ensure that employees using a tight-fitting facepiece respirator pass an  appropriate qualitative fit test (QLFT) or quantitative fit test (QNFT) as stated in 29 CFR 1910(f):      No fit testing was done for employees who were overexposed to lead and copper and who are required to wear respirators while working on the casting deck.

Issued

Jul 31, 2013

Abate by

Sep 4, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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:      Two employees, who wore half mask 3M respirators, had beards which interfered with the face seal.

Issued

Jul 31, 2013

Abate by

Sep 4, 2013

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $2,450 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(1):  The employer did not ensure that each employee can demonstrate knowledge of at least 29 CFR 1910.134(h)(1)(i) through(vii):       At least three employees who were required to use respiratory protection while working in the casting and pouring department were not trained in the use of respirators.

Issued

Jul 31, 2013

Abate by

Sep 4, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $1,400 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(1): The employer did not establish a program consisting of an energy control procedure and employee training to ensure that before any employee performed any servicing or maintenance on a machine or equipment where the unexpected energizing, start up or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, the machine or equipment would be isolated, and rendered inoperative in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4):    No energy control program was developed for employees who work on equipment including, but not limited to, the furnaces.

Issued

Jul 31, 2013

Abate by

Sep 4, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $1,050 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.157(g)(1):  An educational program was not provided for all employees to familiarize them with the general principles of fire extinguisher use and the hazards involved with incipient stage firefighting:       Although portable fire extinguishers were available for employee use, neither initial, nor annual retraining was provided.       Note:  Employer may exercise one of the following options.       1.  Provide portable fire extinguishers as specified in 29 CFR1910.157(c)(1), meet the distribution requirements per 29 CFR1910.157(d) (75' to the nearest extinguisher for Class A fires and 50' to the nearest unit for Class B fires), and provide training and education for all employees in the use of such equipment and the hazards associated with incipient stage firefighting as required in 29 CFR 1910.157(g). The other sections of 29 CFR also apply.       2.  Provide extinguishers as specified in 29 CFR 1910.157(c)(1),designate certain employees to be the only employees authorized to use such equipment and require all other employees to immediately evacuate upon the sounding of the fire alarm, establish this in writing in an emergency action plan as outlined in 29 CFR1910.38(a) and train/educate designated employees per 1910.157(g).Utilizing this option exempts the employer from distribution requirements of 29 CFR 1910.157(d).      3.  Establish a written fire safety policy which requires the immediate and total evacuation of employees from the workplace upon the sounding of a fire alarm signal.  This policy shall include an emergency action plan and a fire prevention plan as specified in 29CFR 1910.38(a) and (b).  Utilizing this option exempts the employer from the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.157 to include the need for providing portable fire equipment unless a specific standard requires that a portable fire extinguisher be provided (such as those requirements in 29 CFR 1910.106/107 related to use/storage of flammable/combustible liquids).  If extinguishers are provided, but not intended for employee use, 29 CFR 1910.157(e) and (f) are still applicable (inspection, maintenance, and testing of equipment).

Issued

Jul 31, 2013

Abate by

Oct 29, 2013

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $2,450 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(a)(2):  Employees were exposed to an airborne concentration of Copper,  listed in Table Z-1 in excess of the 8 hour Time Weighted Average concentration of 0.1 milligrams per cubic meter of air (mg/m3):       a)  On 3/13/13, a Casting hand working in the casting department was exposed to copper at an 8 hour time weighted average level of .19  mg/m3,  this exposure was approximately 1.9 times the permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 0.1 mg/m3.  This exposure was calculated from a sample collected over a 410 minute period; a zero increment was included for the 70 minutes not sampled.       b)  On 3/13/13, a Casting hand working in the casting department was exposed to copper at an 8 hour time weighted average level of .20  mg/m3,  this exposure was approximately 2 times the permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 0.1 mg/m3.  This exposure was calculated from a sample collected over a 425 minute period; a zero increment was included for the 55 minutes not sampled.       c)  On 3/13/13, a Lead man  working in the casting department was exposed to copper at an 8 hour time weighted average level of .35  mg/m3,  this exposure was approximately 3.5 times the permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 0.1 mg/m3.  This exposure was calculated from a sample collected over a 397 minute period; a zero increment was included for the 83 minutes not sampled.

Issued

Jul 31, 2013

Abate by

Oct 29, 2013

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):       Engineering controls were not implemented to reduce the exposure to employees overexposed to Copper.       Engineering controls usually effective in these circumstances include, but are not limited, to the following:       1.   Modification of the existing ventilation system to improve capture velocity at the ventilation hoods.   2.   Modification of ventilation hoods to better collect metal fumes,   3.   Maintenance of furnace and tundish and other system parts which are subject to flames or high heat and which may be contaminated with metal spills.       Abatement Steps       STEP 1:  Effective respirators shall be provided and used by all employee(s) as an interim measure.  Abatement must be completed by ***5 days***.       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 exposures as referenced in this citation.  This plan shall include, at a minimum, target dates for the following actions which must be consistent with the dates required by this citation.       a)  Evaluation of the extent and location of the hazard source.       b)  Evaluation of control measure options.       c)  Selection of optimum control method(s).       d)  Determination of control measure design.       e)  Ordering and delivery of equipment and material(s).       f)  Installation of control measures.       g)  Training of employees in proper operation and maintenance of newly-implemented control measures.       h)  Assurance of effective performance of control measures.       All proposed control measures shall be evaluated for each particular use by a technically qualified person.  Abatement must be completed by ***30 days***.        STEP 3:  Correction should have been completed by the implementation of feasible engineering and/or administrative controls and air sampling results to verify the effectiveness in achieving compliance.  Abatement must be completed by ***60 days***.

Issued

Jul 31, 2013

Abate by

Oct 29, 2013

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $2,450 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(c)(1): Employee(s) were exposed to lead at concentrations greater than fifty micrograms per cubic meter of air averaged over an eight-hour period:       a)  On 3/13/2013, an employee working on the casting deck was exposed to lead at a level of 753.37 micrograms per cubic meter of air (ug/m3), this exposure was approximately 15.06 times the permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50 ug/m3.  This exposure was calculated from a sample collected over a 410 minute period; a zero increment was included for the 70 minutes not sampled.       b)  On 3/13/2013, an employee working on the casting deck was exposed to lead at a level of  655.21 ug/m3, this exposure was approximately 13.10 times the PEL of 50 ug/m3.  This exposure was calculated from a sample collected over a 425 minute period; a zero increment was included for the 55 minutes not sampled.       c)  On 3/13/2013, an employee working as a Lead man was exposed to lead at a level of  670.76 ug/m3, this exposure was approximately 13.42 times the PEL of 50 ug/m3.  This exposure was calculated from a sample collected over a 397 minute period; a zero increment was included for the 63 minutes not sampled.

Issued

Jul 31, 2013

Abate by

Oct 29, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(e)(1)(ii):  Where an employee was exposed to lead above the permissible exposure limit, but for 30 days or less per year, engineering controls were not implemented to reduce exposures to 200 ug/m3:       Engineering controls were not implemented to reduce the exposure to employees overexposed to Lead.       Engineering controls usually effective in these circumstances include, but are not limited to, the following:       1.   Modification of the existing ventilation system to improve capture velocity at the ventilation hoods.   2.   Modification of ventilation hoods to better collect metal fumes,   3.   Maintenance of furnace and tundish and other system parts which are subject to flames or high heat and which may be contaminated with metal spills.       Abatement Steps       STEP 1:  Effective respirators shall be provided and used by all employee(s) as an interim measure.  Abatement must be completed by ***5 days***.        STEP 2:  Submit to the Area Director a written detailed plan of abatement outlining a schedule for the implementation of engineering measures to control employee exposures as referenced in this citation.  This plan shall include, at a minimum, target dates for the following actions which must be consistent with the dates required by this citation.       a)  Evaluation of the extent and location of the hazard source.       b)  Evaluation of control measure options.       c)  Selection of optimum control method(s).       d)  Determination of control measure design.       e)  Ordering and delivery of equipment and material(s).       f)  Installation of control measures.       g)  Training of employees in proper operation and maintenance of newly-implemented control measures.       h)  Assurance of effective performance of control measures.       All proposed control measures shall be evaluated for each particular use by a technically qualified person.  Abatement must be completed by ***30 days***.       STEP 3:  Correction should have been completed by the implementation of feasible engineering controls and air sampling results to verify the effectiveness in achieving compliance.  Abatement must be completed by ***60 days***.

Issued

Jul 31, 2013

Abate by

Sep 4, 2013

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $2,450 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(f)(3)(i)(A): Respirators required under this section for protection against lead, were not selected as specified in paragraph (d)(3)(i)(A) of 29 CFR 1910.134:      Employees overexposed to lead at more than 15 and 13 times the PEL, were provided only a half mask air purifying respirator which has a protection factor of 10 times the PEL.

Issued

Jul 31, 2013

Abate by

Sep 4, 2013

Penalty

Initial $49,000 · Current $24,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(d)(2): An initial determination was not made to determine if any employee may be exposed to lead at or above the action level:                                                                                                                                  No air sampling was done to determine if employees were over exposed to lead.

Issued

Jul 31, 2013

Abate by

Sep 4, 2013

Penalty

Initial $49,000 · Current $24,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(l)(1)(i): Employee(s) working in an area where there is potential exposure to airborne lead at any level were not informed of the content of Appendices A and B of this regulation:                                                                                                                                       No training was done for employees who work on the site casting lead containing alloys.

Issued

Jul 31, 2013

Abate by

Sep 4, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(l)(1)(ii): A training program was not instituted and required for all employees who were subject to lead exposure at or above the action level, or for whom the possibility of skin or eye irritation existed:                                                                                                                                    No training was done for employees who were overexposed to, and who work on the site, casting lead containing alloys.

Issued

Jul 31, 2013

Abate by

Sep 4, 2013

Penalty

Initial $49,000 · Current $24,500 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:                                                                                                                                   No written hazard communication program was developed for employees who work on the site and are exposed to hazardous chemicals including, but not limited to, copper, nickel, and tin.

Issued

Jul 31, 2013

Abate by

Sep 4, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1):  Employees were not provided with effective information and training as specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200 (h)(2) and (3) on hazardous substances in their work area at the time of their initial assignment and whenever a new hazard was introduced into their work area:                                                                                                                                 No training was provided for employees who work on the site and are exposed to hazardous chemicals including, but not limited to, copper, nickel, and tin.