OSHA Inspection: ROCKFORD FOUNDRIES, INC.

Issued

2014-10-08 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-10-19 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.138(a):     The employer did not select and require employee(s) to use appropriate hand protection when employees' hands were exposed to hazards such as those from skin absorption of harmful substances; severe cuts or lacerations; severe abrasion; punctures; chemical burns; thermal burns; and harmful temperature extremes:    A metal pouring employee was exposed to burns when not wearing gloves while pouring molten metal into molds.    Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(d).

Issued

2014-10-08 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-01-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1000.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(c)(1):     Employee(s) were exposed to lead at concentrations greater than fifty micrograms per cubic meter of air averaged over an eight-hour period:    A grinding employee in the cleaning room was exposed to lead at an 8-hour time weighted average of 94 micrograms per cubic meter, approximately 1.87 times the limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter; this limit is established to prevent health impairment and disease which can arise from acute or chronic exposure to lead, including damage to blood forming, nervous, urinary, and reproductive systems. The samples were collected on 6/11/2014 during a 423 minute sampling period. Exposure calculations include a zero increment for the 57 minutes not sampled.    Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(d).

Issued

2014-10-08 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-01-12 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(e)(1)(i):   For any employees exposed to lead above the permissible exposure limit for more than 30 days per year where engineering and work practice controls (including administrative controls) were feasible but did not reduce the employees' exposure to or below the permissible exposure limit the employer did not use engineering and/or work practice controls to reduce exposures to the lowest feasible level:  Engineering and work practice controls did not reduce the grinding employee's exposure to lead to or below the permissible exposure limit. Engineering controls in the form of local exhaust ventilation were not used to reduce exposures to the lowest feasible level; work practice controls and other administrative controls were not utilized.  Step 1: 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.      Step 2: 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 this 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 control options;  2. Selection of optimum control methods and completion of design;  3. Procurement, installation and operation of selected control measures;  4. Testing and acceptance or modification/redesign of controls.      All proposed control measures shall be approved for each particular use by a competent industrial hygienist or other technically qualified person.  90-day progress reports are required during the abatement period.      Step 3: Abatement shall have been completed by the implementation of feasible engineering controls and/or administrative controls upon verification of their effectiveness in achieving compliance.      Feasible engineering controls include, but are not limited to:   - Substitution (e.g., using less toxic brass and bronze alloys that contain a lower amount of lead or substituting a process that results in lower exposures for another type of process that results in higher exposures);   - Isolation (e.g., enclosing the source of exposure or placing a barrier between employees and the source of exposure); or  - Ventilation (e.g., local exhaust systems that capture airborne lead near its source and remove it from the workplace, or general ventilation that dilutes airborne lead concentrations by circulating large quantities of air; a local exhaust system is generally preferred to dilution ventilation because it provides a cleaner and healthier work environment).   Feasible work practice controls include, but are not limited to:   - Eliminating the use of compressed air and dry sweeping and brushing, instead favoring vacuuming as part of a written housekeeping program;  - Minimizing finish work that occurs without local exhaust ventilation;  - Maintaining dust collection equipment, monitoring its effectiveness and performance and addressing issues that arise.   Step 1 abatement to be completed by: 11/7/2014   Step 2 abatement to be completed by: 12/8/2014  Step 3 abatement to be completed by: 1/8/2015  Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(d).

Issued

2014-10-08 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-12-01 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(f)(2)(i):     The employer did not implement a respiratory protection program in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.134(b) through (d) (except (d)(1)(iii)), and (f) through (m) for each employee required by 29 CFR 1910.1025 to use a respirator:    The employer did not establish a written respirator program in accordance with the above mentioned paragraphs and did not require the use of a respirator for an employee exposed to lead above the permissible exposure limit.    Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(d).

Issued

2014-10-08 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-01-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1000.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(e)(3)(i):     The employer did not establish and implement a written compliance program to reduce exposures to or below the permissible exposure limit, solely by means of engineering and work practice controls:    The employer did not establish and implement a written compliance program when employees were exposed to lead above the permissible exposure limit. A template lead compliance program had not been edited to reflect the specific conditions in the workplace following the requirements set forth in 29 CFR 1910.1025(e)(3)(ii).    Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(d).

Issued

2014-10-08 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-01-12 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1000.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(e)(4)(i):     When ventilation was used to control exposure to lead, measurements which demonstrate the effectiveness of the system in controlling exposure were not made at least every three months:    The employer did not measure capture velocity, duct velocity, or static pressure in the ventilation system used to control grinding employees' exposure to lead. Flexible duct leading to a Hammond DusKolector DK-8 13352 has never been measured to demonstrate the effectiveness of the system.    Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(d).

Issued

2014-10-08 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-11-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2800.00 · Current $2000.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(h)(1):     All surfaces were not maintained as free as practicable of accumulations of lead:    a) A wipe sample taken from a molding employee's overhead crane pendant demonstrated a surface lead concentration of 259.1 micrograms per square foot.    b) A wipe sample taken from a melting/pouring employee's ladle handle demonstrated a surface lead concentration of 357.1 micrograms per square foot.    c) A wipe sample taken from a grinding employee's work table demonstrated a surface lead concentration of 3,696 micrograms per square foot.    d) A wipe sample taken from the lower level office desk demonstrated a surface lead concentration of 580.4 micrograms per square foot.    The employer has not implemented an effective housekeeping program with specific procedures and methods to minimize surface accumulations of lead. Surfaces are to be maintained as free as practicable of accumulations of lead to prevent health impairment and disease which can arise from acute or chronic exposure to lead, including damage to blood forming, nervous, urinary, and reproductive systems.    Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(d).

Issued

2014-10-08 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-10-19 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(h)(2)(i):   Floors and/or other surfaces where lead accumulates were cleaned by the use of compressed air:  The grinding work area to include floors and surfaces such as work benches, a grinding machine, and a cut-off saw are cleaned by the use of compressed air. Lead has been shown to accumulate on work surfaces through wipe sampling, and has been measured in the air in excess of the PEL.   Abatement certification is required of this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(c).

Issued

2014-10-08 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-10-19 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(h)(2)(ii):   Shoveling, sweeping or brushing methods were used to remove lead accumulations where vacuuming or other equally effective methods were available and feasible:  In the grinding area, lead accumulations were swept up after dust was blown off of work surfaces with compressed air.  Abatement certification is required of this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(c).

Issued

2014-10-08 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-10-19 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(m)(2)(i):   The employer shall post the following warning signs in each work area where the PEL is exceeded:    DANGER  LEAD  MAY DAMAGE FERTILITY OR THE UNBORN CHILD  CAUSES DAMAGE TO THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM  DO NOT EAT, DRINK OR SMOKE IN THIS AREA  The employer did not have a lead warning sign in the grinding area where the PEL was exceeded.  Abatement certification is required of this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(c).