OSHA Inspection: MID-CITY SCRAP IRON & SALVAGE CO., INC.

Issued

Nov 7, 2014

Abate by

May 1, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,500 Reduced

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 or .05 milligrams per meter cubed (mg/m3) averaged over an 8-hour period:    Establishment:    The following employees who performed torch cutting of scrap steel from a dismantled highway structure that was painted with lead-containing coating(s) were overexposed to the 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) for lead:    a) A Torch Cutter was exposed to lead in excess of the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 0.05 milligrams per meter cubed (mg/m3).  The employee's exposure was 1.3 mg/m3 of the 8-hour TWA, which was 26 times the OSHA PEL.  Time sampled was  85 minutes.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled time.  The sample result for the time sampled was 7.3 mg/m3, which was 145 times the OSHA PEL.

Issued

Nov 7, 2014

Abate by

May 1, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(d)(2): An initial determination was not made to determine if any employee may be exposed to lead at or above the action level of 30 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3) or .o3 milligrams per cubic meter:    Establishment:    Employer did not perform an initial determination for employees engaging in torch cutting of  a scrap steel from a dismantled highway structure that had been painted with lead-containing coating(s) and whose exposure exceeded the OSHA PEL of 50 ug/m3 (.05 milligrams per cubic meter, mg/m3).    a) A Torch Cutter was exposed to lead in excess of the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 0.05 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3).  The employee's exposure was 1.3 mg/m3 of the 8-hour TWA, which was 26 times the OSHA PEL.  Time sampled was  85 minutes.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled time.  The sample result for the time sampled was 7.3 mg/m3, which was 145 times the OSHA PEL.

Issued

Nov 7, 2014

Abate by

May 1, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,500 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:    Establishment:    Employer did not develop and implement a written compliance program for employees who were performing torch cutting of scrap steel from a dismantled highway structure that had been painted with lead-containing coating(s) and whose exposure exceeded the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) of .05 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3).

Issued

Nov 7, 2014

Abate by

Apr 15, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,500 Reduced

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:    Establishment:    Employer did not develop and implement a respiratory protection program that included all requirements of this section for employees who were exposed to lead in excess of the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) while performing torch cutting of scrap steel from a dismantled highway structure that had been painted with lead-containing coating(s).

Issued

Nov 7, 2014

Abate by

May 1, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(g)(1): Appropriate protective work clothing and equipment was not provided when employee(s) were exposed to lead above the permissible exposure limit (PEL), without regard to the use of respirators, or where the possibility of skin or eye irritation exists:    Establishment:    Employer did not provide protective clothing for employees who were torch cutting scrap steel from a dismantled highway structure that had been painted with lead-containing coating(s) and whose exposure exceeded OSHA's permissible exposure limit of .05 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3).

Issued

Nov 7, 2014

Abate by

Mar 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(i)(1): The employer did not ensure that food or beverage was not present, or consumed; tobacco products were not present, or used and cosmetics were not applied in areas where employees were exposed to lead in excess of the permissible exposure limit:    Torch Cutting Area:    Employer did not ensure that food or beverage were not present and consumed in the area where employees were performing torch cutting of scrap steel from a dismantled highway structure that was painted with lead-containing coating(s) and were exposed to lead above the OSHA PEL of .05 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3).

Issued

Nov 7, 2014

Abate by

May 1, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(i)(4)(iv): Employees entering lunchroom facilities with protective work clothing or equipment were not required to remove surface lead dust by vacuuming, downdraft booth, or other cleaning method(s):  Establishment:  Employer did not ensure that employees who were exposed in excess of the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) for lead during torch cutting operations would remove surface lead dust from their work clothing prior to entering the lunchroom facilities.

Issued

Nov 7, 2014

Abate by

Jun 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(i)(2)(ii): Change rooms were not equipped with separate storage facilities for protective work clothing and equipment and for street clothes to prevent cross contamination from lead:    Establishment:    Employer did not provide clean change areas for employees who were torch cutting lead-containing scrap steel and were exposed to lead in excess of the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) of .05 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3).

Issued

Nov 7, 2014

Abate by

Jun 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(i)(3)(ii): Shower facilities, in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.141(d)(3), were not provided for employee(s) exposed to lead in excess of the permissible exposure limit (PEL), without regard to the use of respirators:    Establishment:    Employer did not ensure that employees shower at the end of the shift who were torch cutting lead-containing scrap steel and were exposed to lead in excess of the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) of .05 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3).

Issued

Nov 7, 2014

Abate by

Mar 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(l)(1)(i): Employee(s) working in an area where there is potential exposure to airborne lead at any level were not informed of the content of Appendices A and B of 29 CFR 1910.1025:    Establishment:    Employer did not provide training that included the entire content of Appendices A and B of this section to the Metal Room Laborers who handle lead-containing metal scrap.

Issued

Nov 7, 2014

Abate by

Mar 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(l)(1)(ii): The employer did not train each employee who is subject to exposure to lead at or above the action level, or for whom the possibility of skin or eye irritation exists, in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.1025:  Establishment:  Employer did not provide adequate training for the torch cutters who were exposed to lead in excess of the OSHA PEL.  The training did not include requirements such as the content of this standard and its appendices.

Issued

Nov 7, 2014

Abate by

Mar 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $3,500

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(m)(2)(i): The employer did not post warning signs in each work area where the permissible exposure limit was exceeded:       Torch Cutting Area of Yard:    Warning signs containing information required by this section were not posted in areas where torch cutting took place and employees lead exposure exceeded OSHAs permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3).