OSHA Inspection: GAS HOUSE PROPANE COMPANY, THE

Issued

Sep 9, 2013

Abate by

Sep 17, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,200 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.110(b)(13)(ii)(a): 29 CFR 1910.110(b)(13)(ii)(a) Liquid petroleum gas was piped into a building that was not used exclusively to house equipment for vaporization, pressure reduction, gas mixing, gas manufacturing, or distribution:     A workbench with tools used for maintenance was located in the cylinder recharging building.

Issued

Sep 9, 2013

Abate by

Sep 27, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,200 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.157(g)(1): An educational program was not provided for all employees to familiarize them with the general principles of fire extinguisher use and the hazards involved with incipient stage firefighting:       Although portable fire extinguishers were available for employee use, neither initial, nor annual retraining was provided.       Note:  Employer may exercise one of the following options.       1.  Provide portable fire extinguishers as specified in 29 CFR1910.157(c)(1), meet the distribution requirements per 29 CFR1910.157(d) (75 feet to the nearest extinguisher for Class A fires and 50 feet to the nearest unit for Class B fires), and provide training and education for all employees in the use of such equipment and the hazards associated with incipient stage firefighting as required in 29 CFR 1910.157(g). The other sections of 29 CFR also apply.       2.  Provide extinguishers as specified in 29 CFR 1910.157(c)(1),designate certain employees to be the only employees authorized to use such equipment and require all other employees to immediately evacuate upon the sounding of the fire alarm, establish this in writing in an emergency action plan as outlined in 29 CFR1910.38(a) and train/educate designated employees per 1910.157(g).Utilizing this option exempts the employer from distribution requirements of 29 CFR 1910.157(d).      3.  Establish a written fire safety policy which requires the immediate and total evacuation of employees from the workplace upon the sounding of a fire alarm signal.  This policy shall include an emergency action plan and a fire prevention plan as specified in 29CFR 1910.38(a) and (b).  Utilizing this option exempts the employer from the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.157 to include the need for providing portable fire equipment unless a specific standard requires that a portable fire extinguisher be provided (such as those requirements in 29 CFR 1910.106/107 related to use/storage of flammable/combustible liquids).  If extinguishers are provided, but not intended for employee use, 29 CFR 1910.157(e) and (f) are still applicable (inspection, maintenance, and testing of equipment).

Issued

Sep 9, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,200 · Current $720 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(d)(1):  Pulley(s) with part(s) seven feet or less from the floor or work platform were not guarded in accordance with the requirements specified in 29 CFR 1910.219(m) and (o):       Gas compressors located adjacent to the propane storage tanks had unguarded pulleys.

Issued

Sep 9, 2013

Abate by

Sep 27, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e) (1): The employer did not develop, implement, and/or maintain at the workplace a written hazard communication program which describes how the criteria specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) will be met:    Employees work with paint which contains the hazardous chemicals toluene, xylene and ethyl benzene and Leak Detector which contains the hazardous chemicals ethylene glycol and propanol.  No written program was developed.

Issued

Sep 9, 2013

Abate by

Sep 27, 2013

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:   No data sheets were available on the site for the  paint which contains the hazardous chemicals toluene, xylene and ethyl benzene and Leak Detector which contains the hazardous chemicals ethylene glycol and propanol.