OSHA Inspection: BOWERSTON SHALE COMPANY

Issued

Jul 29, 2014

Abate by

Aug 31, 2014

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,430 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(a)(2): A respirator shall be provided to each employee when such equipment is necessary to protect the health of such employee. The employer shall provide the respirators which are applicable and suitable for the purpose intended. The employer shall be responsible for the establishment and maintenance of a respiratory protection program, which shall include the requirements outlined in paragraph (c) of this section. The program shall cover each employee required by this section to use a respirator.  a. An employee was not required to wear a respirator while working in the Grinding Room in the Production Area. The employee was overexposed to respirable crystalline quartz dust (See Citation 2, item 1b for exposure information).

Issued

Jul 29, 2014

Abate by

Oct 30, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(c): Table Z-3. An employee's exposure to any substance listed in Table Z-3, in any 8-hour work shift of a 40-hour work week, shall not exceed the 8-hour time weighted average limit given for that substance in the table.  a. On June 11, 2014 an employee performing the required duties as the Grinding Room Operator in the Production Area was exposed to respirable crystalline quartz silica at an 8 hour time weighted average of 0.87 milligrams respirable dust per cubic meter air. This exposure if approximately 1.2 times the calculated permissible exposure limit of 0.714 milligrams respirable dust per cubic meter air. Employee utilized a N95 disposable filtering facepiece during the workshift on a voluntary basis. Silicosis and cancer are health effects related to exposure to respirable crystalline quartz silica.

Issued

Jul 29, 2014

Abate by

Oct 30, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(e): To achieve compliance with paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, administrative or engineering controls must first be determined and implemented whenever feasible. When such controls are not feasible to achieve full compliance, protective equipment or any other protective measures shall be used to keep the exposure of employees to air contaminants within the limits prescribed in this section. Any equipment and/or technical measures used for this purpose must be approved for each particular use by a competent industrial hygienist or other technically qualified person. Whenever respirators are used, their use shall comply with 1910.134. [71 FR 16673, April 3, 2006]  a. An employee working in the Grinding Room in the Production Area (see Citation 2, item 1b) was overexposed to respirable crystalline quartz silica.   ABATEMENT:  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 the 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. Ninety (90) day written progress reports are required during the abatement period to be submitted to the area director.   Step 3:  Abatement shall have been completed by the implementation of feasible engineering and/or administrative controls upon verification of their effectiveness in achieving compliance.   Feasible engineering and/or administrative controls could include, but the employer is not bound by or limited to, the following:  Grinder Operator  1. Enclose grinding operation and/or seal system leaks to limit dust exposure.   2. Eliminate the need for the operator to exit the control room.   3. Rotate employees in and out of hazardous job duties to limit their exposures below the PEL for an 8 hour TWA.   4. Any combination of the above.

Issued

Jul 2, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(4)(iii): An evaluation of each powered industrial truck operator's performance shall be conducted at least once every three years.  a. At the workplace, the employer did not ensure that an evaluation of powered industrial truck operator's performance was conducted at least once every three years.

Issued

Jul 2, 2014

Abate by

Jul 22, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1): Employers shall provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment, and whenever a new chemical hazard the employees have not previously been trained about is introduced into their work area. Information and training may be designed to cover categories of hazards (e.g., flammability, carcinogenicity) or specific chemicals. Chemical-specific information must always be available through labels and safety data sheets.  a. At the workplace, the employer did not provide employees with information and training on the Global Harmonization System for hazardous chemicals in their work area.