OSHA Inspection: ALTA FUELS, LLC

Issued

2014-05-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-07-17 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4900.00 · Current $4900.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1028(c)(2): The employer did not ensure that no employee was exposed to an airborne concentration of benzene in excess of five ppm as averaged over any 15-minute period:    a)  On or about March 26, 2014, and at times prior, employees were exposed to benzene above the short term exposure limit.  Air sampling conducted on March 26, 2014, showed an employee was exposed to 10.64 parts per million (ppm) of benzene during a 25 minute sampling period while preparing samples in the lab.   This exposure level was approximately 2.12 times greater than the short term exposure limit (STEL) of 5ppm.

Issued

2014-05-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-07-17 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1028(d)(1): The employer did not establish a regulated area where the airborne concentration of benzene exceeded or could reasonably be expected to exceed the permissible exposure limits, either the 8-hour time weighted average exposure of 1 part per million (ppm) or the short term exposure limit of 5 ppm for 15 minutes:    a)  On or about March 25, 2014, and at times prior, employees that entered the lab were exposed to benzene because the employer did not establish it (or parts of it) as a regulated area.  Air sampling conducted on March 26, 2014, showed an employee was exposed to 10.64 parts per million (ppm) of benzene during a 25 minute sampling period while preparing samples in the lab.   This exposure level was approximately 2.12 times greater than the short term exposure limit (STEL) of 5ppm.

Issued

2014-05-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-07-17 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1028(e)(2)(i): The employer did not monitor each workplace and work operation to determine accurately the airborne concentrations of benzene to which employees may be exposed:    a)  On or about March 26, 2014, and at times prior, employees were exposed to benzene because the employer had not conducted monitoring to determine the airborne concentrations of benzene in the lab and was therefore unable to determine what type of employee protections were required.  Air sampling conducted on March 26, 2014, showed an employee was exposed to 10.64 parts per million (ppm) of benzene during a 25 minute sampling period while preparing samples in the lab.   This exposure level was approximately 2.12 times greater than the short term exposure limit (STEL) of 5ppm.

Issued

2014-05-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-07-17 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1028(f)(1)(i): The employer did not institute engineering controls and work practices to reduce and maintain employee exposure to benzene at or below the permissible exposure limits:    a)  On or about March 26, 2014, and at times prior, employees were exposed to benzene because the employer had not instituted adequate engineering controls and work practices in order to bring employee exposures below the permissible exposure limits.  Air sampling conducted on March 26, 2014, showed an employee was exposed to 10.64 parts per million (ppm) of benzene during a 25 minute sampling period while preparing samples in the lab.   This exposure level was approximately 2.12 times greater than the short term exposure limit (STEL) of 5ppm.

Issued

2014-05-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-07-17 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2100.00 · Current $2100.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1028(i)(1)(i): The employer did not make available a medical surveillance program for employees who were or could be exposed to benzene at or above the PELs 10 or more days per year:    a)  On or about March 26, 2014, and at times prior, employees that were or could be exposed above permissible exposure limits on a daily basis were not provided with a medical surveillance program to determine the effects of their exposure to benzene.  Air sampling conducted on March 26, 2014, showed an employee was exposed to 10.64 parts per million (ppm) of benzene during a 25 minute sampling period while preparing samples in the lab.   This exposure level was approximately 2.12 times greater than the short term exposure limit (STEL) of 5ppm.

Issued

2014-05-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-07-17 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3500.00 · Current $3500.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1028(g)(2)(i): The employer did not implement a respiratory protection program in accordance with Section 1910.134(b) through (d) (except (d)(1)(iii), (d)(3)(iii)(b)(1) and (2)), and (f) through (m), which covers each employee required by 29 CFR 1910.1028 to use a respirator:    a)  On or about March 26, 2014, and at times prior, employees were exposed to benzene because the employer did not develop and implement a written respiratory protection program that addressed training, fit testing, cartridge change schedules and selection, use and maintenance of respirators.  Air sampling conducted on March 26, 2014, showed an employee was exposed to 10.64 parts per million (ppm) of benzene during a 25 minute sampling period while preparing samples in the lab.   This exposure level was approximately 2.12 times greater than the short term exposure limit (STEL) of 5ppm.  During this period employees wore respirators that were not fit tested and were not properly maintained and used.

Issued

2014-05-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-07-17 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1028(g)(2)(ii): Where air-purifying respirators were used, the employer did not replace the air purifying element at the expiration of service life or at the beginning of each shift in which they would be used, whichever came first:    a)  On or about March 26, 2014, and at times prior, employees were exposed to benzene because the employer did not ensure that the organic vapor cartridges used in employee respirators were changed at the beginning of each shift or before the end of service life.  Air sampling conducted on March 26, 2014, showed an employee was exposed to 10.64 parts per million (ppm) of benzene during a 25 minute sampling period while preparing samples in the lab.   This exposure level was approximately 2.12 times greater than the short term exposure limit (STEL) of 5ppm.

Issued

2014-05-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1):  The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employees ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace:       a)  On or about March 26, 2014, and at times prior, lab employees wore  half-face elastomeric respirators without first being medically evaluated to ensure that they were physically fit to wear the respirator.

Issued

2014-05-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-07-17 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

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)  On or about March 26, 2014, and at times prior, lab employees were exposed to benzene because the employer did not ensure that half-face respirators used to protect employees were tested to ensure an adequate fit.  Air sampling conducted on March 26, 2014, showed an employee was exposed to 10.64 parts per million (ppm) of benzene during a 25 minute sampling period while preparing samples in the lab.   This exposure level was approximately 2.12 times greater than the short term exposure limit (STEL) of 5ppm.

Issued

2014-05-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-07-17 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2100.00 · Current $2100.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1028(j)(1)(iii): Employers shall include benzene in the hazard communication program established to comply with the HCS (� 1910.1200). Employers shall ensure that each employee has access to labels on containers of benzene and to safety data sheets, and is trained in accordance with the requirements of HCS and paragraph (j)(3) of this section.    a)  On or about March 26, 2014, and at times prior, lab employees and other employees who entered the lab were exposed to benzene because the employer did not provide adequate training on the health hazards associated with benzene, the methods employees should use to protect themselves, and the contents of 29 CFR 1910.1028.

Issued

2014-05-30 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-07-17 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6)(i): Except as provided in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(7) and 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(8), the employer did not ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace was labeled, tagged or marked with the information required by 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(1)(i) through 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(1)(v)    a)  On or about March 26, 2014, and at times prior, lab employees and other employees who entered the lab were exposed to a variety of organic chemicals such as benzene, toluene and hexane because the employer did not ensure that labels contained the information required by the hazard communication standard.  Information such as health effects, hazard warnings, and personal protection, among other things, were not on all labels.

Issued

2014-05-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.157(e)(3): Portable fire extinguishers were not subjected to an annual maintenance check:  a)  On or about March 26, 2014, and at times prior, lab employees were exposed to fire hazards because the employer did not ensure that fire extinguishers for the lab were provided an annual maintenance check.  The lab fire extinguisher was last inspected in December of 2012.