OSHA Inspection: GRANITE DIRECT LLC

Issued

Mar 11, 2014

Abate by

Mar 29, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,400 · Current $840 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(c): "Covers and guardrails." Covers and/or guardrails shall be provided to protect personnel from the hazards of open pits, tanks, vats, ditches, etc.    a.  At the work site, employees cut, ground and polished granite slabs using both wet and dry methods.  The water and solid waste drained and was pushed by employees into an uncovered trench for drainage of the shop floor.  The employer failed to have a cover over the trench to protect employees as they walked throughout the shop.

Issued

Mar 11, 2014

Abate by

Mar 29, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(a)(5): Every pit and trapdoor floor opening, infrequently used, shall be guarded by a floor opening cover of standard strength and construction. While the cover is not in place, the pit or trap opening shall be constantly attended by someone or shall be protected on all exposed sides by removable standard railings.  a.  At the work site, employees cut, ground and polished granite with both wet and dry methods, directing the debris into a trench that ended in a series of three uncovered sludge pits.  The employer did not ensure that the sludge pits were covered at all times except for cleaning.

Issued

Mar 11, 2014

Abate by

Mar 29, 2014

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $560 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(d)(2): The employer shall verify that the required workplace hazard assessment has been performed through a written certification that identifies the workplace evaluated; the person certifying that the evaluation has been performed; the date(s) of the hazard assessment; and, which identifies the document as a certification of hazard assessment.    a.  At the work site, the employer had provided employees with hearing protection, eye protection, steel-toed rubber boots, rubber aprons and gloves.  The employer had not verified that a workplace hazard assessment had been completed and/or certified, and did not have any documentation for a workplace hazard assessment.

Issued

Mar 11, 2014

Abate by

Apr 13, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $980 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1): In any workplace where respirators are necessary to protect the health of the employee or whenever respirators are required by the employer, the employer shall establish and implement a written respiratory protection program with worksite-specific procedures. The program shall be updated as necessary to reflect those changes in workplace conditions that affect respirator use. The employer shall include in the program the following provisions of this section, as applicable:    a.  At the work site, the employer had employees cut and finish granite for countertops.  The employer had employees polish the granite without using water to reduce the dust.  The employer had required all employees to wear tight-fitting half face respiratory protection but did not have a respiratory protection program.

Issued

Mar 11, 2014

Abate by

Jun 12, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(c): Table Z-3. An employee's exposure to any substance listed in Table Z-3, in any 8-hour work shift of a 40-hour work week, shall not exceed the 8-hour time weighted average limit given for that substance in the table.  a.  On January 16, 2014, an employee performing the required duties as the cutter in the shop area was exposed to respirable crystalline quartz silica at an 8 hour time weighted average of 0.509 milligrams of respirable dust per cubic meter of air.  This exposure is approximately 1.5 times the calculated permissible exposure limit of 0.344 milligrams of respirable dust per cubic meter of air.  The employee sometimes utilized an N95 half-face respirator during the work shift.  Silicosis and cancer are health effects related to exposure to respirable crystalline quartz silica.  b.  On January 16, 2014, an employee performing the required duties as the grinder in the shop area was exposed to respirable crystalline quartz silica at an 8 hour time weighted average of 1.478 milligrams of respirable dust per cubic meter of air.  This exposure is approximately 5 times the calculated permissible exposure limit of 0.304 milligrams of respirable dust per cubic meter of air.  The employee sometimes utilized an N95 half-face respirator during the work shift.  Silicosis and cancer are health effects related to exposure to respirable crystalline quartz silica.  c.  On January 16, 2014, an employee performing the required duties as the cutter/grinder in the shop area was exposed to respirable crystalline quartz silica at an 8 hour time weighted average of 0.641 milligrams of respirable dust per cubic meter of air.  This exposure is approximately 1.6 times the calculated permissible exposure limit of 0.394 milligrams of respirable dust per cubic meter of air.  The employee sometimes utilized an N95 half-face respirator during the work shift.  Silicosis and cancer are health effects related to exposure to respirable crystalline quartz silica.

Issued

Mar 11, 2014

Abate by

Dec 3, 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.  An employee working as a cutter in the shop area, was overexposed to respirable crystalline quartz silica while performing their normal job duties.    b.  An employee working as a grinder in the shop area, was overexposed to respirable crystalline quartz silica while performing their normal job duties.    c.  An employee working as a cutter/grinder in the shop area, was overexposed to respirable crystalline quartz silica while perfoming their normal job duties.    ABATEMENT:    Step 1:  Effective respiratory protection shall be provided and used by exposed employees as an interim protective measure until feasible engineering and/or administrative controls can be implemented or whenever such controls fail to reduce employee exposure to within permissible exposure limits (PELs).    Step 2:  Submit to the Area Director a written, detailed plan of abatement outlining a schedule for the implementation of engineering and/or administrative measures to control employee exposure to hazardous substances as referenced in this citation.  This plan shall include, at the 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.  Ninety (90) day written progress reports are required during the abatement period to be submitted to the Area Director.  Step 3:  Abatement shall have been completed by the implementation of feasible engineering and/or administrative controls upon verification of their effectiveness in achieving compliance.  Feasible administrative and/or engineering controls could include, but the employer is not bound by or limited to, the following:  Cutters and grinders:  1.  Equip the cutting and grinding areas with water-supplied equipment for all processes.  2.  Equip the cutting and grinding areas with incoming fresh air to push and/or a vacuum system to remove any dust generated when cutting and/or grinding the granite.  3.  Establish a cleaning schedule to remove the current buildup and prevent further buildup of the silica dust in the shop, restrooms, front office and employee break areas.  4.  Enclose or provide point-of-use exhaust for any processes that cannot be done using water to control dust generation and minimize employee exposure.  5.  Establish a cleaning and maintenance schedule for the water filtration system, trench and sludge pits in the shop area.  6.  Any combination(s) of the above.

Issued

Mar 11, 2014

Abate by

Apr 13, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $980 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1): General. The employer shall provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee is fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace. The employer may discontinue an employee's medical evaluations when the employee is no longer required to use a respirator.    a.  At the work site, employees were required to wear respirators while cutting, grinding and polishing granite slabs using both wet and dry processes.  The employer had not had employees medically cleared prior to requiring them to wear the tight-fitting half face respirators.

Issued

Mar 11, 2014

Abate by

Apr 13, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(2): The employer shall ensure that an employee using a tight-fitting facepiece respirator is fit tested prior to initial use of the respirator, whenever a different respirator facepiece (size, style, model or make) is used, and at least annually thereafter.  a.  At the work site, the employer required employees to wear tight-fitting half face respiratory protection while dry cutting, grinding and polishing granite.  The employer had not fit tested employees prior to requiring them to wear the tight-fitting half face respiratory protection.

Issued

Mar 11, 2014

Abate by

Apr 13, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(1)(v): What the procedures are for maintenance and storage of the respirator;  a.  At the work site, the employer required employees to wear tight-fitting half face respirators while cutting, grinding and polishing granite.  The employer had not trained employees about the proper procedure(s) for the cleaning, disinfecting, storing and maintenance of respirators.

Issued

Mar 11, 2014

Abate by

Mar 29, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $980 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.141(a)(3)(i): All places of employment shall be kept clean to the extent that the nature of the work allows.    a.  At the work site, employees worked in the shop to cut, grind and polish granite slabs using some wet and some dry processes.  The employer did not ensure that the dust created in the shop area was contained as much as possible in that there was visible dust accumulation in the front area of the work site where employees took breaks and ate, in both employee restrooms in the shop and throughout all areas of the shop.

Issued

Mar 11, 2014

Abate by

Mar 29, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,400 · Current $840 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(1)(ii): Prior to permitting an employee to operate a powered industrial truck (except for training purposes), the employer shall ensure that each operator has successfully completed the training required by this paragraph (l), except as permitted by paragraph (l)(5).    a.  At the work site, employees used a fork lift truck to remove delivered granite slabs from the delivery truck to the storage area(s), move granite slabs from storage to the work area(s), and load completed granite slabs onto a delivery truck.  The employer had not ensured that all employees who operated the fork lift truck had completed adequate training prior to their driving the fork lift truck.

Issued

Mar 11, 2014

Abate by

Mar 29, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $980 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1560246090109685

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): Employers shall develop, implement, and maintain at each workplace, a written hazard communication program which at least describes how the criteria specified in paragraphs (f), (g), and (h) of this section for labels and other forms of warning, material safety data sheets, and employee information and training will be met, and which also includes the following:    a.  At the work site, employees cut, ground and polished granite using both wet and dry methods.  The employer did not have a written hazard communication program for employees who used hazardous materials that included (but were not limited to) silica, acetone, polyester adhesive, acrylic adhesive, toluol and denatured alcohol.

Issued

Mar 11, 2014

Abate by

Mar 29, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1560246090109685

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(1): Chemical manufacturers and importers shall obtain or develop a safety data sheet for each hazardous chemical they produce or import. Employers shall have a safety data sheet in the workplace for each hazardous chemical which they use.  a.  At the work site, employees cut, ground and polished granite slabs using some wet and some dry processes, exposing them to respirable silica.  Employees also used other chemicals during the processing of the granite that included (but was not limited to) acetone, toluol, polyester adhesive, acrylic adhesive and denatured alcohol.  The employer did not have any safety data sheets (SDS) for hazardous chemicals used by employees at the work site.

Issued

Mar 11, 2014

Abate by

Mar 29, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1560246090109685

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1): Employers shall provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment, and whenever a new physical or health hazard the employees have not previously been trained about is introduced into their work area. Information and training may be designed to cover categories of hazards (e.g., flammability, carcinogenicity) or specific chemicals. Chemical-specific information must always be available through labels and material safety data sheets.   a.  At the work site, employees who cut, ground, and polished granite slabs, used chemicals and lubricants that included (but were not limited to) acetone, polyester adhesive, acrylic adhesive, toluol  and denatured alcohol.  The employer had not trained employees about the hazards of the chemicals they used, on hire or when new chemicals were introduced to the work site.