OSHA Inspection: AULFFO PAINTING, INC.

Issued

Jan 8, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,800 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.28(a)(12): An access ladder or equivalent safe access was not provided:    Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, 600 Wilson Ave., Clarifier #10, Newark, NJ    The tubular welded frame scaffold was erected by the foreman and employees three frames high and three framed structure towers across, on each side of the catwalk structure.  There was no safe means of access such as a ladder, and employees climbed the frames exposing themselves to the fall hazards of 16 feet to the ground below.      Violation noted on or about 7-11-13

Issued

Jan 8, 2014

Abate by

Jan 31, 2014

Penalty

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

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1): A written respiratory protection program that included the provisions in 29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1)(i) - (ix) with worksite specific procedures was not established and implemented for required respirator use:      Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, 600 Wilson Ave., Clarifier #10, Newark, NJ    The employer did not develop a written respiratory protection program with worksite specific procedures for employees required to wear a Bullard VX-88 air line respirator when sandblasting, and 3M elastomeric negative pressure 1/2 face respirators when spray painting.      Violation noted on or about 7-10-13

Issued

Jan 8, 2014

Abate by

Jan 31, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1): 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 :  Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, 600 Wilson Ave., Clarifier #10, Newark, NJ  The employer did not provide a medical evaluation for employees required to wear a Bullard VX-88 air line respirator when sandblasting, and 3M elastomeric negative pressure 1/2 face respirators when spray painting.    Violation noted on or about 7-10-13

Issued

Jan 8, 2014

Abate by

Jan 31, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(1): The employer did not ensure that employee(s) required to use a tight-fitting facepiece respirator passed the appropriate qualitative fit test (QLFT) or quantitative fit test (QNFT) :  Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, 600 Wilson Ave., Clarifier #10, Newark, NJ  The employer did not provide a fit test for employees required to wear an elastomeric negative pressure 1/2 mask negative pressure respirator when spray painting.    Violation occurred on or about 7-10-13

Issued

Jan 8, 2014

Abate by

Jan 31, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(3): Training was not provided prior to requiring employees to use a respirator in the workplace:  Passaic Valley Sewerage Commision, 600 Wilson Ave., Clarifier #10, Newark, NJ  The employer did not provide employees with training specific to the use of the Bullard VX-88 air line respirator, and the  3M elastomeric 1/2 mask negative pressure respirator such as, but not limited to, proper use, care, and limitations.     Violation noted on or about 7-10-13

Issued

Jan 8, 2014

Abate by

Jan 31, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $3,000

Hazardous substances 9135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3)(i)(A): The employer did no use the assigned protection factors listed in Table 1 to select a respirator that meets or exceeds the required level of employee protection:    Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, 600 Wilson Ave., Clarifier #10, Newark, NJ    The employer did not select a respirator that meets or exceeds the required assigned protection factor (APF) for worker(s) performing sandblasting exposed to an 8 hour Time Weighted Average (TWA) of 390 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3) of Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated (PNOR) which is 26  times the acceptable OSHA 8 hour TWA of 15 mg/m3.  The employer only provided one Air Systems International M# BAC-10 compressor for two employees wearing Bullard VX 88 supplied air respirators with an APF of 25.    Violation noted on or about 8-14-13

Issued

Jan 8, 2014

Abate by

Jan 31, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(a)(2): Employee(s) were exposed to an airborne concentration of Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated listed in Table Z-1 in excess of the 8 hour Time Weighted Average concentration of 15 mg/m3.  Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, 600 Wilson Ave., Clarifier #10, Newark, NJ  An employee performing sandblasting operations was exposed to airborne concentrations of Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated (PNOR) at levels of 390 mg/m3 which is 26 times the acceptable 8 hour Time Weighted Average (TWA) of 15 mg/m3.  The exposure level was derived from sampling over 383 minutes with the remaining 97 minutes considered to represent zero for the exposure calculation.   Violation noted on or about 8-14-13

Issued

Jan 8, 2014

Abate by

Jan 31, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,800 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(c)(2): The employer did not inform exposed employees, by posting danger signs or by any other equally effective means, of the existence and location of and the danger posed by the permit spaces:    Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, 600 Wilson Ave., Clarifier #10, Newark, NJ    The employer did not inform  employees entering the sludge withdrawal tube in the danger of entering a permit required confined space.  The tube has limited egress, potential atmospheric hazards, danger of entrapment, and is not designed for human occupancy.      Violation noted on or about 7-10-13

Issued

Jan 8, 2014

Abate by

Jan 31, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4): When the employer decided that its employees would enter permit spaces, the employer did not develop and implement a written permit space entry program that complied with 29 CFR 1910.146:    Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, 600 Wilson Ave., Clarifier #10, Newark, NJ    The employer did not implement a written permit space entry program for employees entering  permit spaces, specifically to sandblast and paint the sludge withdrawl tube, which meets the requirements of a permit required confined space in that it has limited egress, potential for hazardous atmosphere, danger of entrapment and is not designed for human occupancy.      Violation noted on or about 7-10-13

Issued

Jan 8, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(d)(3)(iii): Under the permit-required confined space program required by 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4), the employer did not develop and implement the means, procedures, and practices necessary for safe permit space entry operations, including isolating the permit space:    Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, 600 Wilson Ave., Clarifier #10, Newark, NJ    The employer did not ensure, prior to directing workers to enter the sludge withdrawal tube, a permit required confined space, that it was isolated from sewage flowing into Clarifier Tank #10.  The employer failed to attach their locks to the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission lockbox where the keys for locks on the motor control center and local switches for the sludge collectors, the valve on the sludge withdrawal effluent pipe, and the valve on the influent motorized butterfly valve were kept.     Violation noted on or about 7-10-13

Issued

Jan 8, 2014

Abate by

Jan 31, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(d)(8): Under the permit-required confined space program required by 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4), the employer did not designate the persons who were to have active roles in entry operations, such as authorized entrants, attendants, entry supervisors, or persons who test or monitor the atmosphere in a permit space during entry operation, did not identify the duties of each such employee, and did not train each employee in thier designated role:    Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, 600 Wilson Ave., Clarifier #10, Newark, NJ    The employer did not designate the persons who were to have active roles in entry operations, when the employer directed employees to enter a permit space, specifically to sandblast and paint the sludge withdrawl tube.  This tube meets the requirements of a permit required confined space in that it has limited egress, potential for hazardous atmosphere, danger of entrapment, and is not designed for human occupancy.     Violation noted on or about 7-10-13

Issued

Jan 8, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(e)(1): Before entry is authorized, the employer did not document the completion of measures required by paragraph (d)(3) of this section by preparing an entry permit:    Passaic Valley Sewerage Commision, 600 Wilson Ave., Clarifier #10, Newark, NJ     The employer did perform the measures nor document the measures required by an entry permit, prior to directing an employee to enter, sandblast and paint the sludge withdrawl tube.  This tube meets the requirements of a permit required confined space in that it has limited egress, potential for hazardous atmosphere, danger of entrapment and is not designed for human occupancy.      Violation occurred on 7-10-13      NOTE: Appendix D to section 1910.146 presents examples of permits whose elements are considered to comply with the requirements of this section.

Issued

Jan 8, 2014

Abate by

Jan 31, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,800 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(g)(1): The employer did not provide training so that all employees whose work was regulated by 29 CFR 1910.146 (permit required confined spaces) acquired the understanding, knowledge, and skills necessary for the safe performance of the duties assigned under 29 CFR 1910.146:    Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, 600 Wilson Ave., Clarifier #10, Newark, NJ    The employer did not provide training in confined space entry hazards and procedures, for employees who entered the sludge withdrawl tube, which meets the requirements of a permit required confined space in that it has limited egress, potential for hazardous atmosphere, danger of entrapment and is not designed for human occupancy.      Violation noted on or about 7-10-13

Issued

Jan 8, 2014

Abate by

Jan 31, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(k)(1)(i): An employer who designated rescue and emergency services, pursuant to paragraph (d)(9) of this section, did not evaluate a prospective rescuer's ability to respond to a rescue summons in a timely manner, considering the hazard(s) identified:    Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, 600 Wilson Ave., Clarifier #10, Newark, NJ    The employer did not ensure that the rescue service they selected, which was to call 911 and Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, could respond to a rescue summons in a timely manner, considering the hazards posed by entry into the space sludge withdrawal tube.    Violation noted on or about 7-10-13

Issued

Jan 8, 2014

Abate by

Jan 31, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,800 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(4)(iii): An evaluation of each powered industrial truck operator's performance was not being conducted at least once every three years:    Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, 600 Wilson Ave., Clarifier #10, Newark, NJ    The employer did not ensure that the operator of the powered industrial truck Sky Trak Model # 10542 had been evaluated in the last three years.  The truck was used to move and organize materials used for the project including pallets of black beauty and scaffold parts.    Violation noted on or about 7-18-13

Issued

Jan 8, 2014

Abate by

Jan 31, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): The employer had not developed or implemented a written hazard communication program which at included the requirements outlined in 29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1)(i) and (e)(1)(ii):    Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, 600 Wilson Ave., Clarifier #10, Newark, NJ    The employer did not implement a hazard communication program for employees that were sandblasting and painting metal structures in Clarifier #10.  Employees used chemicals including Carboline Carboguard 690 Part A and B paint systems that contain toluene, and paint Thinner as a cleaning solvent.     Violation noted on or about 7-11-13

Issued

Jan 8, 2014

Abate by

Jan 31, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(8):   The employer did not maintain in the workplace copies of the required safety data sheets for each hazardous chemical, and did not ensure that they were readily accessible during each work  shift to employees when they were in their work area(s):    a)  Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, 600 Wilson Ave., Clarifier #10, Newark, NJ    The employer did not have safety data sheets for employees that were sandblasting and painting metal structures in Clarifier #10.  The employer did not have the safety data sheet for the Paint Thinner used by employees at the work site.     Violation noted on or about 7-18-13

Issued

Jan 8, 2014

Abate by

Jan 31, 2014

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:       Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, 600 Wilson Ave., Clarifier #10, Newark, NJ    The employer did not train employees performing  sandblasting and painting of  metal structures in Clarifier #10 in the health effects of hazardous chemicals that they used.  Employees used chemicals including Carboline Carboguard 690 Part A and B paint systems that contain toluene, and Paint Thinner that contains MEK  as a cleaning solvent.     Violation noted on or about 7-11-13