OSHA Inspection: BASF

Issued

Sep 18, 2014

Abate by

Oct 17, 2014

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $3,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0691

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(d)(2)(iii): Monitoring revealed that employee exposures were at or above the action level and the employer did not perform periodic monitoring at least every six months.           (a)  BASF 120 Pine Street, Elyria, Ohio:  On or about June 25, 2014, the employer did not ensure that periodic monitoring for hexavalent chromium was performed.  Air monitoring for hexavalent chromium revealed that employees were exposed above the action level of 2.5 ug/m3.

Issued

Sep 18, 2014

Abate by

Oct 17, 2014

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $3,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0691

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(d)(2)(vi): The employer did not perform additional monitoring when there has been any change in the production process, raw materials, equipment, personnel, work practices or control methods that resulted in new or additional exposures to chromium (IV).              (a)  BASF 120 Pine Street, Elyria, Ohio:  On or about April 30, 2014, the employer did not ensure that air monitoring for hexavalent chromium exposure was performed after changes had been made to the production process in buildings 10 and 26.  Air monitoring for hexavalent chromium revealed that employees were exposed above the action level of 2.5 ug/m3.

Issued

Sep 18, 2014

Abate by

Oct 17, 2014

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $3,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0691

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(h)(2)(iii):  When contaminated protective clothing or equipment was removed for laundering, cleaning, maintenance, or disposal, the employer did not ensure that it was stored and transported in sealed, impermeable bags or other closed, impermeable containers.           (a)  BASF 120 Pine Street, Elyria, Ohio:  On or about August 12, 2014, the employer did not ensure that contaminated clothing was stored in a closed container.  Uncovered totes of clothing, which was contaminated with hexavalent chromium, were removed from the laundry chute, manually pushed, and temporarily stored in the maintenance area.

Issued

Sep 18, 2014

Abate by

Oct 17, 2014

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $3,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0689

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(j)(1)(i):  The employer did not ensure that all surfaces were maintained as free as practicable of accumulations of chromium(IV).           (a)  BASF 120 Pine Street, Elyria, Ohio:  On or about April 30, 2014, the employer did not ensure that the benches in the men's locker room were as clean as practicable of hexavalent chromium.  Wipe sample results obtained from the lunch room revealed hexavalent chromium levels of 0.2 and 0.13 ug.  Analysis of a wipe sample collected from the top of the bench in front of the 'clean' lockers where the employees kept their personal belongings and where employees changed into their personal clothing revealed 3.57 ug hexavalent chromium (1,785 % higher than the lunch room).