OSHA Inspection: MFA OIL BIOMASS

Issued

2013-09-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2800.00 · Current $1000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(a)(1): All places of employment, passageways, storerooms or service rooms were not kept clean and orderly or in a sanitary condition.    (a)  At MFA OIl Biomass: The employer failed to keep clean and free from accumulation of wood dust the working area exposing employees to serious explosion hazard.

Issued

2013-09-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2800.00 · Current $1400.00 Reduced

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) At MFA Bio Fuel:  Employees are exposed to noise levels higher than 85 dBA.  The employer failed to establish a Hearing Conservation Program.    (1)  An employee working at MFA Bio Fuel was exposed to continous noise level at 105.2 % of the allowable 8-hour time-weighted average sound level of 90 dBA or an equivalent sound level of approximately 90.37 dBA.  The sampling was performed for 458 mins during one shift on August 15, 2013; exposure calculations included a zero increment for the 22 minutes not sampled.    (2)  An employee working at MFA Bio Fuel was exposed to continous noise level at 104.0 % of the allowable 8-hour time-weighted average sound level of 90 dBA or an equivalent sound level of approximately 90.28 dBA.  The sampling was performed for 474 mins during one shift on August 15, 2013; exposure calculations included a zero increment for the 6 minutes not sampled.

Issued

2013-09-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2800.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(d)(1): The employer did not assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE):    (a) At MFA Bio Fuel: The employer did not perform an evaluation of the possible air contaminants such as total and respirable dust from the wood to determine the type of respiratory protection  and other personal protective equipment necessary to perform the work safely.    (1)  On or about July 17, 2013, an employee working in the wood pellets area, was exposed to an 8 hour time weighted average (TWA) level of 34.33 mg/m3 of total dust, which is 2.28 times the OSHA permissible exposure level (PEL) of 15.0 mg/m3.

Issued

2013-09-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2800.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c): The employer did not develop and implement a written respiratory protection program with required worksite-specific procedures and elements for required respirator use:    (a) At MFA Bio Fuel: The employer did not develop and implement a written respiratory protection program.     (1)  On or about July 17, 2013, an employee working in the wood pellets area, was exposed to an 8 hour time weighted average (TWA) level of 34.33 mg/m3 of total dust, which is 2.28 times the OSHA permissible exposure level (PEL) of 15.0 mg/m3.

Issued

2013-09-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2800.00 · Current $1000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.307(c)(2)(i): Equipment in hazardous (classified) location(s) was not approved for the ignitable or combustible properties of the specific gas, vapor, dust, or fiber that was or could be present:    (a) At MFA Oil Biomass Production Line: The employer failed to properly classifiy the area and provide intrinsically safe electrical equipment exposing employees to serious explosion hazards.    (1)  On or about July 17, 2013, an industrial hygiene analysis and evaluation was performed which determine the subject production area to be a Class II, Division 2, location with an explosion severity of 1.27, which poses a severe risk of explosion.

Issued

2013-09-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2800.00 · Current $1000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(a)(2): Employee(s) were exposed to an airborne concentration of (IDENTIFY MATERIAL) listed in Table Z-1 in excess of the 8 hour Time Weighted Average concentration of (INCLUDE APPROPRIATE VALUE FROM TABLE):    (a) At MFA Bio Fuel:  The employer did not perform an evaluation of the possible air contaminants such as but not limited to: total dust to determine the type of respiratory protection and other personal protective equipment  necessary to perform the wood pellet manufacturing work safely.      (1)  On or about July 17, 2013, an employee working in the wood pellets area, was exposed to an 8 hour time weighted average (TWA) level of 34.33 mg/m3 of total dust, which is 2.28 times the OSHA permissible exposure level (PEL) of 15.0 mg/m3.