OSHA Inspection: MIDWEST INDUSTRIAL METALS CORP.

Issued

May 29, 2013

Abate by

Oct 1, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,785 · Current $893 Reduced

Hazardous substances 06850731152015911620

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1): In any workplace where respirators are necessary to protect the health of the employees or whenever respirators are required by the employer, the employer did not establish and implement a written respiratory protection program with required worksite-specific procedures:    a) The employer did not establish and implement a written respiratory protection program in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.134 (c)(1) that would describe or include at least the following:    1)              Procedures for selecting respirators;   2)              Worksite specific procedures;  3)              Medical evaluations;   4)              Fit testing procedures;  5)              Procedures for proper use of respirators in routine and reasonably foreseeable emergency;   6)              Procedures and schedules for cleaning, storing, inspecting, repairing and discarding respirators;  7)              Employee training regarding respiratory hazards they are exposed to, proper use and limitations of respirators; and   8)              Procedures for regularly evaluating the effectiveness of the respirator program       The employer required of the employee(s) assigned to sorting, cutting, stripping and baling operations of scrap/recyclable metal(s) to wear respiratory protection.  Employee(s) wore dual-strap NIOSH approved 3M Model 8210 tight fitting filtering facepiece respirator(s) [dust mask(s)]. The employer did not ensure that where respirators were required, a written respiratory protection program was established, implemented and maintained.

Issued

May 29, 2013

Abate by

Jul 16, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,785 · Current $893 Reduced

Hazardous substances 06850731152015911620

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) The employer required of the employee(s) assigned to sorting, cutting, stripping and baling operations of scrap/recyclable metal(s) to wear respiratory protection.  Employee(s) wore dual-strap NIOSH approved 3M Model 8210 tight fitting filtering facepiece respirator(s) [dust mask(s)]. 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.

Issued

May 29, 2013

Abate by

Jul 16, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 06850731152015911620

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) The employer required of the employee(s) assigned to sorting, cutting, stripping and baling operations of scrap/recyclable metal(s) to wear respiratory protection.  Employee(s) wore dual-strap NIOSH approved 3M Model 8210  tight fitting filtering facepiece respirator(s) [dust mask(s)]. The employer did not ensure that employees using a tight-fitting facepiece respirator were fit-tested either qualitatively (QLFT) or quantitatively (QNFT) prior to the initial use of the respirator.

Issued

May 29, 2013

Abate by

Jul 16, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,785 · Current $893 Reduced

Hazardous substances 06850731152015911620

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(1): The employer did not provide respirator training that would ensure each employee could demonstrate knowledge of items in section (i)-(vii):    a) The employer required of the employee(s) assigned to sorting, cutting, stripping and baling operations of scrap/recyclable metal(s) to wear respiratory protection.  Employee(s) wore dual-strap NIOSH approved 3M Model 8210  tight fitting filtering facepiece respirator(s) [dust mask(s)]. The employer did not ensure that each employee demonstrated knowledge why the respirator was necessary and how improper fit, usage or maintenance can compromise the protective effect of the respirator. The improper use of respirator(s) (using a single strap) and the lack of knowledge about the protective effect of the respirator(s) was observed and documented.

Issued

May 29, 2013

Abate by

Oct 1, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,785 · Current $893 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

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:    a) The employer did not determine if any warehouse employee(s) may be currently exposed to lead at or above the action level.  Warehouse employee(s) were assigned to sorting, cutting, stripping and baling operations of scrap/recyclable metal(s).  Wipe sampling of employees hands and work tools (walkie talkie) conducted on 07 and 18 March 2013 indicated that employee(s) were exposed to lead during the sorting and trans-loading of lead and lead-containing scrap metal including but not limited to lead/acid batteries and brass.

Issued

May 29, 2013

Abate by

Oct 1, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances C141

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1027(d)(1)(i): The employer did not determine whether any employee was exposed to cadmium at or above the action level:    a) The employer did not determine if any warehouse employee(s) may be exposed to cadmium at or above the action level.  Warehouse employee(s) were assigned to sorting, cutting, stripping and baling operations of scrap/recyclable metal(s).  Wipe sampling of employee(s) hands conducted on 18 March 2013 indicated that employee(s) had dermal exposure(s) to cadmium during the sorting and trans-loading of scrap/recyclable metal.

Issued

May 29, 2013

Abate by

Oct 1, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,785 · Current $893 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(h)(1): All surfaces were not maintained as free as practicable of accumulations of lead:     a) The employer did not ensure that surfaces including but not limited to lunchroom microwave(s) and employee(s) two-way radio(s) [walkie-talkies] were maintained as free as practicable of lead accumulations.  Wipe samples collected on the numerical keypad of a lunchroom microwave oven and on an employees walkie talkie indicated the presence of up to 18.23 µg and 48.003 µg Lead, respectively.

Issued

May 29, 2013

Abate by

Oct 1, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,785 · Current $893 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(l)(1)(ii): The employer did not train each employee who is subject to exposure to lead at or above the action level, or for whom the possibility of skin or eye irritation exists, in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.1025:    a) The employer did not ensure that warehouse employee(s) with dermal exposures to lead, received training in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.1025, including but not limited to the specific nature of operations which could result in lead exposure; adverse health effects due to lead exposure and the work practices associated with each employees job assignment.  Worker(s) assigned to sorting, cutting, stripping and baling operations of scrap/recyclable metal(s) were exposed to surface contamination of lead during the sorting and trans-loading of lead and lead-containing scrap metal including but not limited to lead/acid batteries and brass.  Wipe sampling of employees hands indicated dermal exposure(s) to lead ranging from 33.688 µg up to 88.691 µg.

Issued

May 29, 2013

Abate by

Oct 1, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances C141

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1027(m)(4)(i): The employer did not institute a training program for all employees who were potentially exposed to cadmium, ensure employee participation in the program, and maintain a record of the contents of such program:     a)  The employer did not ensure that warehouse employee(s) with exposures to cadmium, received training in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.1027, including but not limited to the specific nature of operations which could result in cadmium exposure; adverse health effects due to cadmium exposure and the work practices associated with each employees job assignment.  Wipe sampling of employee(s) hands conducted on 18 March 2013 indicated that employee(s) had dermal exposure(s) to cadmium during the sorting and trans-loading of scrap/recyclable metal.

Issued

May 29, 2013

Abate by

Jul 16, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 06850731152016202610

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:  a) The employer did not provide worker(s) effective training and information on the health hazards of the hazardous metals processed in the workplace. Warehouse employee(s) were assigned to sorting, cutting, stripping and baling operations of scrap/recyclable metal(s).  Wipe sampling of employees hands and work tools (walkie talkie) conducted on 07 and 18 March 2013 indicated that employee(s) had dermal exposures to Copper; Manganese; Nickel; Zinc; Iron and Chromium while handling scrap/recyclable metal.

Issued

May 29, 2013

Abate by

May 29, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,785 · Current $895 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(n)(1)(iii): The employer did not maintain the records for at least 40 years or the duration of employement plus 20 years, whichever is longer:    a) The employer did not ensure that lead exposure monitoring records collected between approximately 1991 through 1996, during operations which included sorting, cutting, stripping and baling operations of lead-containing AT&T Co-Axial Underground Cable, were kept for a minimum of 40 years.

Issued

May 29, 2013

Abate by

May 29, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(n)(4)(i): All records of lead exposure required to be maintained by 29 CFR 1910.1025 were not made available upon request to the Assistant Secretary, or the Director for examination and copying:  a) On or about 23 April 2013, company representative(s) did not provide OSHA, for the purposes of the current inspection, archived exposure monitoring data [as specified in 29 CFR 1910.1025(n)(1)] relating to the companys contract for stripping lead-containing Co-Axial cable, between 1991 and 1996.   Records must be kept for a minimum of 40 years.