OSHA Inspection: B.W. GRINDING CO.

Issued

May 29, 2014

Abate by

Jun 5, 2014

Penalty

Initial $9,800 · Current $6,300 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.243(c)(2)(i): Cup wheels were not protected by safety guards as specified in paragraph (c)(1) of this section;     a) On or about March 19, 2014 the employer did not ensure the vertical cup grinders used by the employees in the grinding department were equipped with a safety guard that covered at least 180 degrees of the grinding wheel and within 1/8 of an inch of the plane of the surface of the wheel.     B.W. Grinding Co. was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 1910.243(c)(2)(i), which was contained in OSHA Inspection Number 444333, citation number 1,  item number 9 and was affirmed as a final order on November 26, 2012, with respect to a workplace located at 15048 County Road 10-3 Lyons Ohio 43533.

Issued

May 29, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,975 · Current $1,785 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(h)(4): Respirators that failed an inspection or were otherwise found to be defective were not removed from service and discarded or repaired:    a) B.W. Grinding Co. dba B.W. Supply located in Lyons, Ohio: On or about April 8, 2014, the employer failed to ensure that respirators found to be defective are removed from service and discarded or repaired. An employee working in the clean room wore a tight fitting half mask respirator (required) that was found to be missing an inhalation valve, a tear in the face piece, and a broken filter.

Issued

May 29, 2014

Abate by

Nov 18, 2014

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,100 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(c): An employee(s) was exposed to crystalline silica in excess of the 8-hour time weighted average limits of the calculated PEL listed in Table Z-3:    a) B.W. Grinding Co. dba B.W. Supply located in Lyons, Ohio: On or about April 8, 2014 an employee working in the Grinding department was over exposed to crystalline silica dust at an eight hour time weighted hour of 2.246 mg/m3 which was 186% of the calculated permissible exposure limit of 1.206 mg/m3.

Issued

May 29, 2014

Abate by

Nov 8, 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) B.W. Grinding Co. dba B.W. Supply located in Lyons, Ohio: On or about April 8, 2014 an employee working in the Grinding department was over exposed to crystalline silica dust at an eight hour time weighted hour of 2.246 mg/m3 which was 186% of the calculated permissible exposure limit of 1.206 mg/m3.     Step 1:  Within 30 days 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.  When personal exposure concentrations exceed the maximum allowable concentration for the respirator used, the employer shall ensure employees are protected with a respirator appropriate for the exposure concentration.      Step 2:  Within 60 days 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 the 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 controls options;               2.  Selection of optimum control methods and completion of design;               3.  Procurement, installation, and operation of selected control measures; and,               4.  Testing and acceptance or modification/redesign of controls.      Step 3:  Within 90 days abatement shall have been completed by the implementation of feasible engineering and / or administrative controls upon verification of their effectiveness in achieving compliance.  Feasible engineering controls include but are not limited to:      1.  Installing mechanical ventilation over the grinding tables to ensure local ventilation is increased thereby reducing employee exposure below the OSHA PEL for crystalline silica      Date by which step 1 must be abated:   Date by which step 2 must be abated:    extended per ISA    09/26/2014  Date by which step 3 must be abated:     extended per ISA   11/08/2014    Ultimate responsibility for determining the most appropriate method rests with the employer, given his superior knowledge of the specific conditions at the workplace.

Issued

May 29, 2014

Abate by

Jun 5, 2014

Penalty

Initial $700 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1904.10(a): The employer did not record all cases on the OSHA 300 Log when an employee's hearing test (audiogram) revealed that the employee had experienced a work-related Standard Threshold Shift (STS) in hearing in one or both ears, and the employee's total hearing level is 25 decibels (dB) or more above audiometric zero (averaged at 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz) in the same ear(s) as the STS.    a) On or about December 7, 2013, the employer failed to record an injury or illness on the OSHA 300 log in that an employee had experienced a work-related standard threshold shift in hearing.