OSHA Inspection: BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS, INC.

Issued

Jan 23, 2014

Abate by

Apr 28, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(e):   Feasible administrative or engineering controls were not determined and implemented to achieve compliance with the limits prescribed in 29 CFR 1910.1000(a) through (d):  a) Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations, Gillingham Well Pad, Forest Lake Twp, PA:  An employee, Sand King Operator, was exposed to respirable crystalline silica at an 8-hour time-weighted average of 0.534 milligrams per cubic meter of air, approximately 1.9 times the calculated Permissible Exposure Limit of 0.286 milligrams per cubic meter of air.  Sampling was performed for 348 minutes on September 5, 2013.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of time.  The employer did not implement feasible administrative and/or engineering controls to reduce employee exposure levels to below the calculated Permissible Exposure Limit for respirable crystalline silica.   ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED   GENERAL METHODS OF CONTROL APPLICABLE IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING:  - Utilize alternative proppants (e.g., sintered bauxite, ceramics, resin coated sand).  - Discontinue the practice of transferring sand from trucks to sand kings while employees are working in the crows nest on sand kings and/or adjacent to the thief hatches.  - Utilize dust collection systems (e.g., baghouses) to capture silica dust ejected from thief hatches on top of sand kings during refilling operations.  - Enclose areas where employee overexposures to silica are known to occur (e.g., crows nests).   - Utilize wet methods (water misting) at dust generation zones (e.g. thief hatches and proppant transfer/drop zones).  - Utilize flexible hose to transfer proppant from the sand kings to the blender.  - Modify sand movers so that they may be remotely operated from outside of silica exposure zones.  - Utilize video equipment to monitor the blender hopper and other transfer locations from outside of silica exposure zones.  - Reduce the drop height between the sand transfer belt and T-belts and blender hoppers.    - Limit the number of workers, and the time workers must spend in areas where dust and silica levels may be elevated, and consider ways to perform dusty operations remotely to completely remove employees from these areas.  - Utilize alternative sand movers that can maintain silica exposure levels below the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit.   Abatement Schedule:  Step 1.  A written detailed plan of abatement shall be submitted to the Area Director outlining a schedule for the implementation of engineering and/or administrative measures to control employee exposures to hazardous substances as referenced in this citation.  This plan shall include, at a minimum, target dates for the following actions which must be consistent with the abatement dates required by this citation:  (1)  Evaluation of engineering/administrative control options; (2)  Selection of optimum control methods and completion of design; (3)  Procurement, installation, and operation of selected control measures; (4)  Testing and acceptance or modification/redesign of controls.    All proposed control measures shall be approved for each particular use by a competent industrial hygienist or other technically qualified person.  45-day progress reports are required during the abatement period.  Step 2.  Abatement shall have been completed by the implementation of feasible engineering and/or administrative controls upon verification of their effectiveness in achieving compliance.  Date by which violation must be abated:  Step 1  00/00/00 Date by which violation must be abated:  Step 2  00/00/00