OSHA Inspection: ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD COMPANY

Issued

Nov 26, 2013

Abate by

Jan 15, 2014

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.62(d)(2)(v)(A): Until the employer performed an employee exposure assessment as required under paragraph (d) of this section and determined actual employee exposure, the employer did not provide to employees appropriate respiratory protection in accordance with paragraph (f) of this section:       a.  At the above addressed jobsite, employees were conducting torch cutting operations on a bridge coated with lead based paint.  The employer required the use of full face respirators when airline respirators or powered air purifying respirators were required, thereby exposing employees to lead hazards.

Issued

Nov 26, 2013

Abate by

Jan 15, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.62(f)(3)(i)(A): Select, and provide to employees, the appropriate respirators specified in paragraph (d)(3)(i)(A) of 29 CFR 1910.134.      a. At the above addressed jobsite, employees were conducting torch cutting operations on a bridge coated with lead based paint.  The employer provided full face respirators when airline respirators or powered air purifying respirators are required in accordance with the protection factors outlined in paragraph (d)(3)(i)(A) of 29 CFR 1910.134, thereby exposing employees to lead hazards.

Issued

Nov 26, 2013

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.62(d)(2)(v)(B): Until the employer performed an employee exposure assessment as required under paragraph (d) of this section and determined actual employee exposure, the employer did not assure appropriate personal protective work clothing (PWC) and equipment was used in accordance with paragraph (g) of this section:    a.  At the above addressed jobsite, employees were conducting torch cutting and rivet busting operations on a bridge coated with lead based paint and the employer did not assure appropriate protective work clothing was used in accordance with paragraph (g) of this section, thereby exposing employees to lead hazards.

Issued

Nov 26, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.62(g)(2)(iv): The employer shall assure that all protective clothing is removed at the completion of a work shift only in change areas provided for that purpose as prescribed in paragraph (i)(2) of this section.   a.  At the above addressed jobsite, employees were conducting torch cutting and rivet busting operations on a bridge coated with lead based paint and the employer did not assure appropriate protective work clothing was removed at the end of the work shift, thereby exposing employees to lead hazards.

Issued

Nov 26, 2013

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.62(d)(2)(v)(C): The employer did not provide to employees performing the tasks described in paragraphs (d)(2)(i), (d)(2)(ii), (d)(2)(iii) and (d)(2)(iv) of this section interim protection such as change areas in accordance with paragraph (i)(2) of this section:       a. At the above addressed jobsite, employees were conducting torch cutting and rivet busting operations on a bridge coated with lead based paint and the employer did not provide change areas, thereby exposing employees to lead hazards.

Issued

Nov 26, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.62(i)(2)(i): The employer shall provide clean change areas for employees whose airborne exposure to lead is above the PEL, and as interim protection for employees performing tasks as specified in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, without regard to the use of respirators.   a. At the above addressed jobsite, employees were conducting torch cutting and rivet busting operations on a bridge coated with lead based paint and the employer did not provide change areas as interim protection for tasks specified in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, thereby exposing employees to lead hazards.

Issued

Nov 26, 2013

Abate by

Dec 16, 2013

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.62(e)(1): "Engineering and work practice controls." The employer shall implement engineering and work practice controls, including administrative controls, to reduce and maintain employee exposure to lead to or below the permissible exposure limit (PEL) to the extent that such controls are feasible. Wherever all feasible engineering and work practices controls that can be instituted are not sufficient to reduce employee exposure to or below the permissible exposure limit prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section, the employer shall nonetheless use them to reduce employee exposure to the lowest feasible level and shall supplement them by the use of respiratory protection that complies with the requirements of paragraph (f) of this section.   a.  At the above addressed jobsite, employees were conducting torch cutting and rivet busting operations on a bridge coated with lead based paint.  The employer did not implement and ensure the use of existing engineering controls (water suppression, HEPA vacuums) to reduce and maintain employee's exposures to lead to or below the PEL, thereby exposing employees to lead hazards.    Other general engineering methods of control applicable in these circumstances include, but are not limited to, the following:       a.  Venturi air horns/industrial fans      b.  Direct ventilation       c.  Longer handle torches    Administrative controls applicable in these circumstances include, but are not limited to, the following:             a. Rotation of employees during torch cutting and rivet busting operations to reduce employee exposure to below the PEL.

Issued

Nov 26, 2013

Abate by

Dec 16, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.62(e)(2)(ii)(C): The written compliance program established by the employer did not include a report of the technology considered in meeting the PEL;    a.  At the above addressed jobsite, employees were conducting torch cutting operations on a bridge coated with lead based paint.  The employer failed to ensure the written compliance program considered other technologies in meeting the PEL for torch cutting operations, thereby exposing employees to the hazards associated with lead.

Issued

Nov 26, 2013

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.62(i)(1): The employer shall assure that in areas where employees are exposed to lead above the PEL without regard to the use of respirators, food or beverage is not present or consumed, tobacco products are not present or used, and cosmetics are not applied.   a.  At the above addressed jobsite, employees were conducting torch cutting and rivet busting operations on a bridge coated with lead based paint.  The employer did not ensure food, beverage and tobacco products were not present or used in the work area, thereby exposing employees to the hazards associated with lead.

Issued

Nov 26, 2013

Penalty

Initial $70,000 · Current $7,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.62(d)(1)(i): Each employer who has a workplace or operation covered by this standard shall initially determine if any employee may be exposed to lead at or above the action level.         a.  At the above addressed jobsite, employees were conducting torch cutting and rivet busting operations on a bridge coated with lead based paint.  The employer did not initially determine if any employee may be exposed to lead at or above the action level, thereby exposing employees to lead hazards.

Issued

Nov 26, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.62(d)(1)(iii): With the exception of monitoring under paragraph (d)(3), where monitoring is required under this section, the employer shall collect personal samples representative of a full shift including at least one sample for each job classification in each work area either for each shift or for the shift with the highest exposure level.      a.  At the above addressed jobsite, employees were conducting torch cutting and rivet busting operations on a bridge coated with lead based paint.  The employer did not collect personal samples of a full shift nor each job classification to determine employee(s) exposure to lead, thereby exposing employees to lead hazards.