OSHA Inspection: WILLIAM H. HARVEY

Issued

2014-08-22 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-09-18 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4500.00 · Current $2250.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0040043008302390

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.120(q)(3)(iv): Employees engaged in emergency response and exposed to hazardous substances presenting an inhalation hazard or potential inhalation hazard, did not wear positive-pressure self-contained breathing apparatus until such time that the individual in charge of the incident command system determined through the use of air monitoring that a decreased level of respiratory protection would not result in hazardous exposures to employees.  (a)  Employees responded to  a release in the fill room of approximately 20 gallons of glue containing methyl ethyl ketone, tetrahydroflourine, acetone and cyclohexanone, and did not wear positive-pressure self-contained breathing apparatus until such time that it was determined through the use of air monitoring that a half-face cartridge respirator would not result in hazardous exposures while shutting valves and turning off equipment to contain the spill.  (b)  Employees responded to a release in the mix room of an unknown quantity of product containing methyl ethyl ketone, tetrahydroflourine, acetone and cyclohexanone, and did not wear positive-pressure self-contained breathing apparatus until such time that it was determined through the use of air monitoring that a half-face cartridge respirator would not result in hazardous exposures while shutting valves and turning off equipment to contain the spill.  (c) The employer's written emergency response plan did not contain provisions for utilizing positive-pressure self-contained breathing apparatus until such time that it was determined through the use of air monitoring that a half face cartridge respirator would not result in hazardous exposures to employees.

Issued

2014-08-22 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-09-18 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 0040043008302390

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3)(i): The employer did not provide a respirator that was adequate to protect the health of the employee under routine and reasonably foreseeable emergency situations:  (a)  Employees responded to a release in the fill room of approximately 20 gallons of glue containing methyl ethyl ketone, tetrahydroflourine, acetone and cyclohexanone, and did not wear positive-pressure self-contained breathing apparatus until such time that it was determined through the use of air monitoring that a half-face cartridge respirator would not result in hazardous exposures while working to contain and clean-up the spill.  (b)  Employees responded to a release in the mix room of an unknown quantity of product containing methyl ethyl ketone, tetrahydroflourine, acetone and cyclohexanone, and did not wear positive-pressure self-contained breathing apparatus until such time that it was determined through the use of air monitoring that a half-face cartridge respirator would not result in hazardous exposures while shutting valves and turning off equipment to contain and clean up the spill.

Issued

2014-08-22 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-09-18 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4500.00 · Current $2250.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0040043008302390

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c): The employer did not develop and implement a written respiratory protection program that included the provisions in 29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1)(i) - (ix) with required worksite-specific procedures and elements for required respirator use:  (a)  The employer did not develop a written respiratory protection program for employees who were required to wear 3M tight fitting face piece respirators with organic vapor cartridges in the mix room or during emergency response and clean-up operations.  The employer did not ensure that the elements of a program included physical evaluations, fit testing, maintenance of the respirators and employee training.  The employer did not assure that the respirator in itself would cause a health hazard to the employee.

Issued

2014-08-22 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-09-18 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4500.00 · Current $4950.00

Hazardous substances 0040043008302390

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1)(v): The written program did not contain procedures and schedules for cleaning, disinfecting, storing, inspecting, repairing, discarding, and otherwise maintaining respirators:    (a)  The employer did not develop a written respiratory protection program containing a change schedule for employees who were required to wear 3M tight fitting face piece respirators with organic vapor cartridges in the mix room or during emergency response and clean-up operations.  The employer did not ensure that employees knew when to change out the cartridges on respirators during the cleaning of the units and therefore did not assure that the respirator in itself would cause a health hazard to the employee.

Issued

2014-08-22 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-09-18 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4500.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0040043008302390

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3)(iii)(B)(2): The employer did not implement a change schedule for respirators not equipped with an End of Service Life Indicator that would ensure cartridges were changed before the end of their service life:    (a)  The employer did not ensure that employees knew when to change out the cartridges on respirators and therefore did not assure that the respirator in itself would cause a health hazard to the employee.  The employer did not develop a written respiratory protection program describing the basis cartridge change schedule and the basis for reliance on the data. Employees were required to wear 3M tight fitting face piece respirators with organic vapor cartridges in the mix room or during emergency response and clean-up operations.