OSHA Inspection: CONCRETE & MASONRY RESTORATION, LLC

Issued

Nov 27, 2013

Abate by

Dec 24, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $1,960 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.55(a): Employee(s) were exposed to material(s) at concentrations above those specified in the Threshold Limit Values of Airborne Contaminants for 1970 of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists:   (a) On October 15, 2013 at the jobsite in the parking structure at 310 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI, laborer #1 performed demolition of concrete floor sections, while working inside a plastic walled enclosure with a negative air machine attached and was exposed to respirable dust containing 13% crystalline silica at an average concentration 181.1 million particles per cubic foot (mppcf), during a 234 minute sampling period. This equated to an 8 hour TWA exposure of 88.29 mppcf, which was approximately 6.35 times the limit of 13.9 mppcf; this limit has been established to prevent silicosis. The 8 hour TWA exposure calculation included a zero increment for the 246 minutes not sampled.   (b) On October 15, 2013 at the jobsite in the parking structure at 310 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI, laborer #2 performed demolition of concrete floor sections, while working inside a plastic walled enclosure with a negative air machine attached and was exposed to respirable dust containing 12% crystalline silica at an average concentration of 62.15 million particles per cubic foot (mppcf), during a 227 minute sampling period.  This equated to an 8 hour TWA exposure of 29.39 mppcf, which was approximately 2.00 times the limit of 14.7 mppcf; this limit has been established to prevent silicosis.  The 8 hour TWA exposure calculation included a zero increment for the 253 minutes not sampled.

Issued

Nov 27, 2013

Abate by

Dec 24, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1): The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace: (Construction Reference 1926.103)   (a) On October 15, 2013 at the jobsite in the parking structure at 310 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI, the laborers (referenced in Citation 1, Item 1, Instances a and b) performing demolition of sections of the concrete floor were exposed to crystalline silica in excess of exposure limits and were required to wear elastomeric half-face respirators equipped with P100 cartridges, but had not been provided  medical evaluations.

Issued

Nov 27, 2013

Abate by

Dec 24, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9010

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): (Construction Reference 1926.103)    (a) On October 15, 2013 at the jobsite in the parking structure at 310 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI, the laborers (referenced in Citation 1, Item 1, Instances a and b), performing demolition of sections of the concrete floor were exposed to crystalline silica in excess of exposure limits, were required to wear elastomeric half-face respirators equipped with P100 cartridges, but the employer did not ensure that these laborers had passed either a qualitative or quantitative respirator fit test.