OSHA Inspection: FIRESTONE SHEET METAL INC.

Issued

Aug 5, 2014

Abate by

Sep 7, 2014

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $960 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0689

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1):  The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace:      Employees who weld and cut stainless steel were required to use respiratory protection.  No medical evaluation was provided.

Issued

Aug 5, 2014

Abate by

Sep 30, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,200 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1):  One or more methods of machine guarding was not provided to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as those created by point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks:       a)  On or about 4/8/14, the Wysong shear was not guarded, in that there was a 5/8 inch gap between the guard and the table and the foot pedal was not covered to prevent unintended operation.        b)  On or about 6/26/14, the Warco brake press was not guarded,  in that the pinch point between the dies was exposed to contact and the foot pedal was not covered to prevent unintended operation.      c)  On or about 6/26/14, the Chicago brake press was not guarded, in that the pinch point between the dies was exposed to contact and the foot pedal was not covered to prevent unintended operation.

Issued

Aug 5, 2014

Abate by

Aug 13, 2014

Penalty

Initial $1,200 · Current $720 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.252(b)(2)(iii):  Workers and other persons adjacent to the welding area were not protected from the rays by noncombustible or flameproof screens or shields:       Welding was done in the front and rear welding area of the shop and no screens were in place to prevent eye injury to other employees.

Issued

Aug 5, 2014

Abate by

Sep 30, 2014

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $960 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0689

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1020(d)(1)(ii): Each employee exposure record was not preserved and maintained for at least thirty years:      Air sampling was done to determine employee exposure to hexavalent chromium in 2007 and the records of this sampling were not maintained.

Issued

Aug 5, 2014

Abate by

Sep 30, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1020(g)(1)(i):  Upon first entering into employment, and/or at least annually thereafter, the employer did not inform current employees of the existence, location, and availability of any records covered by this section:      Employees were not informed about air sampling records, created in 2007, which documented exposure to hexavalent chromium.

Issued

Aug 5, 2014

Abate by

Sep 30, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(m)(1)(i): The employer failed to  maintain an accurate record of all air monitoring conducted to comply with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.1026, including all information listed in 29 CFR 1910.1026 (m)(1)(A) through (F):      Initial monitoring was done on the site as required in 29 CFR 1910.1026(d), but no record was available of this monitoring.

Issued

Aug 5, 2014

Abate by

Sep 7, 2014

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(k)(1)(i)(B): The employer did not  make medical surveillance available at no cost to the employee, and at a reasonable time and place, for all employees who are experiencing signs or symptoms of the adverse health effects associated with chromium (VI) exposure:       An employee who was experiencing health effects was not provided with medical surveillance.

Issued

Aug 5, 2014

Abate by

Sep 7, 2014

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $960 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(l)(2)(i): The employer did not ensure that each employee could demonstrate knowledge of the contents of the chromium (VI) standard, 29 CFR 1910.1026, and the purpose and a description of the medical surveillance program required by paragraph (k) of the standard:        Employees who were welding on stainless steel and were exposed to hexavalent chromium were not trained.

Issued

Aug 5, 2014

Abate by

Sep 7, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(3)(ii):  Employee training did not include the physical and health hazards of the chemicals in the work area:    Employees work with stainless steel which contains the hazardous chemical hexavalent chromium; no training was done for this chemical.

Issued

Aug 5, 2014

Abate by

Sep 30, 2014

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $960 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1)(i):  The written hazard communication program did not include a list of the hazardous chemicals known to be present, using an identity that was referenced on the appropriate material safety data sheet:        Employees work with stainless steel which contains the hazardous chemical hexavalent chromium; no list of chemicals was maintained on the site.

Issued

Aug 5, 2014

Abate by

Sep 30, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(8): The employer did not maintain copies of the required material safety data sheets for each hazardous chemical in the workplace:      No safety data sheet was maintained on the site for the Crown Alloy, stainless steel welding wire, used by employees during MIG welding.

Issued

Aug 5, 2014

Abate by

Aug 23, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.157(g)(2):  The educational program to familiarize employees with the general principles of fire extinguisher use and the hazards involved with incipient stage firefighting was not provided to all employees upon initial employment, and at least annually thereafter:      Although portable fire extinguishers were available for employee use annual retraining was not provided; employees were last trained at least two years before the day of the inspection.     Note:  Employer may exercise one of the following options.     1.  Provide portable fire extinguishers as specified in 29 CFR1910.157(c)(1), meet the distribution requirements per 29 CFR1910.157(d) (75 feet to the nearest extinguisher for Class A fires and 50 feet to the nearest unit for Class B fires), and provide training and education for all employees in the use of such equipment and the hazards associated with incipient stage firefighting as required in 29 CFR 1910.157(g). The other sections of 29 CFR also apply.     2.  Provide extinguishers as specified in 29 CFR 1910.157(c)(1),designate certain employees to be the only employees authorized to use such equipment and require all other employees to immediately evacuate upon the sounding of the fire alarm, establish this in writing in an emergency action plan as outlined in 29 CFR1910.38(a) and train/educate designated employees per 1910.157(g).Utilizing this option exempts the employer from distribution requirements of 29 CFR 1910.157(d).     3.  Establish a written fire safety policy which requires the immediate and total evacuation of employees from the workplace upon the sounding of a fire alarm signal.  This policy shall include an emergency action plan and a fire prevention plan as specified in 29CFR 1910.38(a) and (b).  Utilizing this option exempts the employer from the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.157 to include the need for providing portable fire equipment unless a specific standard requires that a portable fire extinguisher be provided (such as those requirements in 29 CFR 1910.106/107 related to use/storage of flammable/combustible liquids).  If extinguishers are provided, but not intended for employee use, 29 CFR 1910.157(e) and (f) are still applicable (inspection, maintenance, and testing of equipment).