OSHA Inspection: PRECISION ELECTRO MINERALS COMPANY

Issued

2014-03-04 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-04-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1200.00 · Current $1200.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(3): The employer did not designate a program administrator who was qualified by appropriate training or experience to administer or oversee the respiratory protection program and to conduct the required evaluations of program effectiveness:  (a) Facility - On or about 2/5/14, the employer did not designate a program administrator who was qualified by appropriate trianing or experience to administer or oversee the respiratory protection program and to conduct the required evaluations of program effectiveness.    Abatement Certification Required

Issued

2014-03-04 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-04-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(2): Employee(s) using a tight-fitting facepiece respirator were not annually fit tested:  a) Facility - On or about 2/5/14, the employer had not provided annual fit testing for employees required to wear respiratory protection during the fused silica pack-out operation.   Abatement Certification Required

Issued

2014-03-04 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-04-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(h)(1)(i): Respirators issued for the exclusive use of an employee were not cleaned and disinfected as often as necessary to be maintained in a sanitary condition:  a.) Production floor/fusion area - On or about 2/5/14, the employer requires employees to wear either a filtering facepiece or an elastomeric respirator with P100 filters during the 'fused silica pack-out process' in the crushing/packaging areas.  An employee was observed wearing an elastomeric respirator which was not maintained in a sanitary condition.  Abatement Certification Required

Issued

2014-03-04 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-04-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1200.00 · Current $1200.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(1)(v): The employer did not ensure that each user could demonstrate knowledge of the procedures for respirator maintenance and storage:  a) Facility - On or about 2/5/14, employees are required to wear respiratory protection during the fused silica pack-out process in the production area of the facility, and can voluntarily wear respiratory protection in the other production areas of the facility (e.g., fusion).  Employees were observed wearing the respiratory protection incorrectly and in a dirty condition.  ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

Issued

2014-03-04 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-04-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(3): Training was not provided prior to requiring employees to use a respirator in the workplace:  a) Fusion - On or about 2/5/14, employees are required to wear respiratory protection, either elastomeric or filtering facepieces, during operations involving fused silica pack-out process. The employer has not provided training to employees prior to requiring them to wear respiratory protection in the workplace.  Abatement Certification Required

Issued

2014-03-04 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-04-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(5): Respiratory protection retraining was not conducted annually:  a) Production area - On or about 2/5/14, employees are required to wear respiratory protection during the fused silica pack-out process.  Employees had not been provided respiratory protection retraining on an annual basis.  Abatement Certification Required

Issued

2014-03-04 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-04-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(6): The employer did not provide the basic advisory information on respirators, as presented in Appendix D of 29 CFR 1910.134, in written or oral format to employees who wear respirators when such use was not required by the employer:  a) Facility - On or about 2/5/14, the employer provides Moldex N95 filtering facepieces that can be worn voluntarily in portions of the facility.  Employees have not been provided with the information contained in Appendix D of the Standard, prior to use.  Abatement Certification Required

Issued

2014-03-04 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-04-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $2000.00

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):  a) Production Area - On or about 2/5/14, the Roll Crusher had two (2) unguarded pulleys with parts seven feet or less from both the floor and the elevated work platform.  Abatement certification required

Issued

2014-03-04 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-04-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(e)(3)(i): Vertical or inclined belt(s) were not enclosed by guard(s) conforming to the requirements specified at 29 CFR 1910.219(m) and (o)  a) Production Area - On or about 2/5/14, the vertical belts associated with the pulley and belt system was not guarded, exposing employees to the hazards of moving parts.  Abatement Certification Required

Issued

2014-03-04 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-03-14 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1200.00 · Current $1200.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.242(b): Compressed air used for cleaning purposes was not reduced to less than 30 p.s.i.:  a) Maintenance Shop - On or about 2/5/14, the employees use the facility compressed air to clean off their clothes (dust from crushing) several times per day.  The compressed air for the facility is set at 80 p.s.i.  Employees use compressed air for cleaning materials from their clothes and which has not been reduced to below 30 p.s.i.  Abatement certification Required

Issued

2014-03-04 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-04-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(a)(1): All places of employment, passageways, storerooms or service rooms were not kept clean and orderly or in a sanitary condition.  a.) Quality Lab - On or about 2/5/14, the laboratory was not kept in a clean and orderly or in a sanitary condition.  Employees would be required to wash their hands and clean respiratory protection equipment in this area.  Accumulations of dust on horizontal surfaces were observed.  b.) Production Area Restroom/Locker Room - On or about 2/5/14, the locker rooms and restrooms were not kept in a clean and orderly or in a sanitary condition.  The floor and horizontal surfaces were covered in heavy dust accumulations, and the toilet area required cleaning.  c.) Production Area Crushing - On or about 2/5/14, the production area is covered in heavy accumulations of amorphous silica dust from the crushing and packaging operations.  ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

Issued

2014-03-04 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-04-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.141(d)(2)(iv): Lavatories were not provided with individual hand towels or sections thereof, of cloth or paper, warm air blowers or clean individual sections of continuous cloth toweling:  a) QA/QC lab production building - on or about 2/5/14, the sink/lavatory in the production building, that would be used for personal hygiene and cleaning respiratory protection, did not have individual hand towels or sections thereof, of cloth or paper, warm air blowers or clean individual sections of continuous cloth toweling.  The only available cloth towel was unsanitary and had not been replaced and cleaned as needed.  Abatement Certification Required