OSHA Inspection: ASTA INDUSTRIES INC.

Issued

Aug 12, 2013

Abate by

Sep 27, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,100 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(c)(1): The employer did not administer a continuing, effective hearing conservation program as described in 29 CFR 1910.9(c) through (o) whenever employee noise exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level of 85 decibels measured on the A scale, or equivalently a dose of fifty percent:   (a) Commercial door line- An employee working on the commercial door line was exposed to continuous noise at 97.7 % of the permissible daily exposure of 85 dBA (8-hour time weighted average) or an equivalent sound level of 89.8 dBA during the 470 minute sampling period on April 9, 2013.      (b) Commercial door line- An employee working on the commercial door line was exposed to continuous noise at 76.2 % of the permissible daily exposure of 85 dBA (8-hour time weighted average) or an equivalent sound level of 88.0 dBA during the 358 minute sampling period on April 9, 2013.      (c) Mini door line- An employee working on the mini door line was exposed to continuous noise at 141.5 % of the permissible daily exposure of 85 dBA (8-hour time weighted average) or an equivalent sound level of 92.5 dBA during the 472 minute sampling period on April 9, 2013.

Issued

Aug 12, 2013

Abate by

Sep 27, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,100 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1730

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1052(c)(2): The employer did not ensure that no employee was exposed to an airborne concentration of methylene chloride in excess of 125 parts per million as determined over a sampling period of 15 minutes:  (a) Adhesive Spray Area- An employee spraying Camie 313B Fast Tack Upholstery Adhesive was exposed to methylene chloride at an airborne concentration of 170 parts per million (ppm), which is 1.4 times the short-term exposure limit (STEL) of 125 ppm. The exposure level was derived from a fifteen minute sample collected on May 23, 2013.    (b) Adhesive spray area- An employee spraying  Camie 313B Fast Tack Upholstery Adhesive was exposed to methylene chloride at an airborne concentration of 210 parts per million (ppm), which is 1.7 times the short-term exposure limit (STEL) of 125 ppm. The exposure level was derived from a fifteen minute sample collected on May 23, 2013.

Issued

Aug 12, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1730

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1052(d)(2): The employer did not perform initial monitoring to determine each employee's exposure to methylene chloride:  (a) Adhesive spray area- Initial air monitoring was not conducted during the adhesive spraying process to identify employees who may be exposed at or above the action level, or at or above the Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL) for methylene chloride.

Issued

Aug 12, 2013

Abate by

Sep 6, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1730

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1052(e)(1): The employer did not establish a regulated area wherever an employee's exposure to airborne concentrations of methylene chloride exceeded or could reasonably be expected to exceed either the 8-hour Time Weighted Average Permissible Exposure Limit or the Short Term Exposure Limit:  (a) Adhesive spray area - A regulated area was not established to restrict access to the adhesive spraying area where two employees were exposed to methylene chloride in excess of the short-term exposure limit (STEL) of 125 parts per million (ppm).

Issued

Aug 12, 2013

Abate by

Sep 27, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1730

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1052(f)(1): The employer did not institute and maintain the effectiveness of engineering controls and work practices to reduce employee exposure to or below the permissible exposure limits:  (a) Adhesive spray area- Engineering controls and work practices were not instituted to reduce exposure levels for two employees exposed to methylene chloride in excess of the short-term exposure limit (STEL) of 125 parts per million (ppm).

Issued

Aug 12, 2013

Abate by

Sep 6, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1730

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1052(g)(3)(i): The employer did not select and provide to employees, the appropriate atmosphere-supplying respirator specified in 29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3)(i)(A) and selected or used half masks:  (a) Adhesive spray area- Two employees exposed to methylene chloride in excess of the short-term exposure limit (STEL) of 125 parts per million (ppm) were required to wear half mask air-purifying respirators. Air-purifying respirators are not permitted due to the short service life of chemical cartridges when used for methylene chloride exposure. Half mask respirators may not be used because methylene chloride may cause eye irritation or damage.

Issued

Aug 12, 2013

Abate by

Sep 27, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $1,260 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1730

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1052(j)(1)(i): The employer did not make medical surveillance available for employees who were or potentially were  exposed to methylene chloride at or above the action level on 30 or more days per year, or above the 8-hour time weighted average permissible exposure limit or the short term exposure limit on 10 or more days per year:  (a) Adhesive spray area- Medical surveillance was not provided to two employees that were exposed to methylene chloride in excess of the short-term exposure limit (STEL) of 125 parts per million (ppm).

Issued

Aug 12, 2013

Abate by

Sep 6, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,100 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1730

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1052(l)(3)(i): The employer did not inform each affected employee of the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.1052 and the information available in its appendices and/or how to access or obtain a copy of it in the workplace:  (a) Adhesive spray area- Employees exposed to methylene chloride in excess of the short-term exposure limit (STEL) of 125 parts per million (ppm) while spraying adhesive containing 80% methylene chloride/dichloromethane were not provided with information and training regarding the physical and health hazards of methylene chloride, the requirements of the methylene chloride standard and the information available in its appendices.

Issued

Aug 12, 2013

Abate by

Sep 6, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(6): The employer did not provide the basic advisory information on respirators, as presented in Appendix D of 29 CFR 1910.134, in written or oral format to employees who wear respirators when such use was not required by the employer:  (a) Tack welding area - A temporary employee using a particulate respirator (dust mask) while tack welding drums was not given the information contained in Appendix D of the respirator standard. The dust mask was used on a voluntary basis.

Issued

Aug 12, 2013

Abate by

Sep 6, 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:  (a) Tack welding area- The employer had not provided initial hazard communication training to a temporary employee assigned to tack weld drums. The employee was exposed to hazardous substances such as, but not limited to, welding fumes and Sherwin Williams Now Spray Paint containing toluene, trimethyl benzene, and ethyltoluene.