OSHA Inspection: BK CONCRETE PREP LLC

Issued

2014-05-12 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-06-14 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1700.00 · Current $1190.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 81108111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(c)(1): The employer did not administer a continuing, effective hearing conservation program as described in 29 CFR 1910.9(c) through (o) whenever employee noise exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level of 85 decibels measured on the A scale, or equivalently a dose of fifty percent:    a) A hearing protection program was not established & instituted for employee(s) who operate powered walk-behind grinding machinery for surface-grinding of concrete floors; where personal monitoring measured average noise level(s), representative of full-shift exposure, at 96.3 decibels (A-scale).      Condition(s) were noted on or about 1/17/2014.

Issued

2014-05-12 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-06-14 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1700.00 · Current $1190.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(a)(2): The employer did not establish and maintain a respiratory protection program which included the requirements outlined in 29 CFR 1910.134(c):     a) Employee(s) operated electric-powered floor grinding machines for scouring the top surface coatings from the concrete floor within the Sansone Nissan service building in Avenel, NJ.  The surface grinding produces a fine silica-laden dust which poses respiratory hazard to operator(s) of grinding machinery.  The personal exposure of an employee operating the single-cup rotary floor edger machine was monitored for 235 mins, and measured exposure at 122% of the of the 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) limit calculated for respirable dust containing 24% silica.  The personal exposure of an employee operating the large Prep Master 30 rotary floor grinder machine was monitoredfor 117 mins, and measured exposure at 128% of the 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) limit calculated for respirable dust containing 36% silica.  Zero exposure was assumed for the un-sampled portions of each worker's shift, despite that the operations were conducted throughout the entire 8-hour shift.       Condition(s) were noted on or about 1/17/2014.

Issued

2014-05-12 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-06-14 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(c): Employee(s) was exposed to respirable silica (crystalline quartz) in excess of the 8-hour time weighted average limit listed in Table Z-3, and calculated based on the percentage of silica using the formula in Table Z-3:   a) Employee(s) operated electric-powered floor grinding machines for scouring the top surface coatings from the concrete floor with the Sansone Nissan service building in Avenel, NJ.  The surface grinding produces a fine silica-laden dust which poses a respiratory hazard to operator(s) of grinding machinery.  The personal exposure of an employee operating the single-cup rotary floor edger machine was monitored for 235 mins, and measured exposure at 122% of the of the 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) limit calculated for respirable dust containing 24% silica.  The personal exposure of an employee operating the large Prep Master 30 rotary floor grinder machine was monitored for 117 mins, and measured exposure at 128% of the 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) limit calculated for respirable dust containing 36% silica.  Zero exposure was assumed for the un-sampled portions of each worker's shift, despite that the operations were conducted throughout the entire 8-hour shift.  Condition(s) were noted on or about 1/17/2014.

Issued

2014-05-12 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-06-14 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

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) Employee(s) operated electric-powered floor grinding machines for scouring the top surface coatings from the concrete floor within the Sansone Nissan service building in Avenel, NJ.  The surface grinding produces a fine silica-laden dust which poses a respiratory hazard to operator(s)  of grinding machinery.  The operator of the large Prep Master 30 floor grinder was sampled for 117 mins; half of which was spent dry-sweeping, scooping and bagging the fine dust from the floor at the end of his shift.  This worker's airborne exposure was measured at over 500% of the 8-hour permissable exposure limit (PEL) calculated for respirable dust containing 36% silica during the period of sampling; unadjusted for un-sampled balance of his work shift.  Among the feasible engineering & administrative (work practice) controls not implemented by the employer for reducing exposure to airborne dust were: configuration of the BLASTRAC dust collector(s) coupled to grinding machinery with compatible High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters designed for these units; substituting HEPA-vacuuming of dust from floor in lieu of dry-sweeping and scooping / bagging; as well as emptying the bin of the dust collector outdoors, when possible to provide for maximum dilution of generated dust.  Condition(s) were noted on or about 1/17/2014.