OSHA Inspection: GRANITE WORKS LLC

Issued

Oct 31, 2014

Abate by

Dec 5, 2014

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $1,200 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(c)(1): The employer did not administer a continuing, effective hearing conservation program as described in 29 CFR 1910.9(c) through (o) whenever employee noise exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level of 85 decibels measured on the A scale, or equivalently a dose of fifty percent:   a) At the facility, on or about 8/28/14: The employer did not administer a hearing conservation program for employees at the facility. An employee whose work tasks included manual and automatic abrasive blasting, operating cutting saws, and driving a fork lift was exposed to noise at a level of 126.7% of the dose of the permissible exposure limit (PEL). The equivalent dBA for the 126.7% is approximately 91.7 dBA calculated as the 8 hour time weighted sound pressure level. Sampling was conducted for 373 minutes. A zero increment was included for the remaining 107 minutes of the workday.    Abatement certification must be submitted for this item.

Issued

Oct 31, 2014

Abate by

Dec 5, 2014

Penalty

Initial $1,200 · Current $900 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1): A written respiratory protection program that included the provisions in 29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1)(i) - (ix) with worksite specific procedures was not established and implemented for required respirator use:     a) At the facility, on or about 8/28/14: Employer policy required an employee to wear a negative pressure half face respirator and positive pressure powered air purifying respirator hood during abrasive blasting using a manually controlled air gun. A written respiratory protection program had not been implemented.     Abatement certification must be submitted for this item.

Issued

Oct 31, 2014

Abate by

Dec 5, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1): The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace:   a) At the facility, on or about 8/28/14: An employee who was required to wear a half face negative pressure respirator and a positive pressure air purifying respirator during use of manually controlled abrasive blasting equipment had not been provided with a medical evaluation for respirator use.    Abatement certification must be submitted for this item.

Issued

Oct 31, 2014

Abate by

Dec 5, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(1): The employer did not ensure that employee(s) required to use a tight-fitting facepiece respirator passed the appropriate qualitative fit test (QLFT) or quantitative fit test (QNFT):    a) At the facility, on or about 8/28/14: An employee who was required to wear a half face negative pressure respirator when performing abrasive blasting with manually controlled equipment had not been fit tested.     Abatement certification must be submitted for this item.

Issued

Oct 31, 2014

Abate by

Dec 5, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(1): The employer did not ensure that each employee can demonstrate knowledge of items in (i)-(vii).     a) At the facility, on or about 8/28/14: An employee who was required to wear respiratory protection during the use of manually controlled abrasive blasting equipment. The employer did not provide respirator training to employee(s) and did not ensure they could demonstrate knowledge of the OSHA respiratory protection requirements.     Abatement certification must be submitted for this item.

Issued

Oct 31, 2014

Abate by

Dec 5, 2014

Penalty

Initial $1,200 · Current $900 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): The employer did not develop, implement, and/or maintain at the workplace a written hazard communication program which describes how the criteria specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) will be met:    a) At the facility, on or about 8/11/2014: The employer did not develop a written hazard communication program for the facility. Employees used hazardous products including but not limited to irritants such as stone shield sealer and garnet blast media.     Abatement certification must be submitted for this item.

Issued

Oct 31, 2014

Abate by

Dec 5, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(8): The employer did not maintain copies of the required material safety data sheets for each hazardous chemical in the workplace:     a) At the facility, on or about 8/28/14: An MSDS sheet was not maintained at the facility for garnet blast media used during manual abrasive blasting.      Abatement certification must be submitted for this item.

Issued

Oct 31, 2014

Abate by

Dec 5, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1): Employees were not provided effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment and whenever a new hazard that the employees had not been previously trained about was introduced into their work area:    a) At the facility, on or about 8/28/14: The employer did not conduct training on hazard communication with employees including a review of the requirements of the OSHA hazard communication standard and the location and availability of the written hazard communication program. Employees used hazardous products including but not limited to irritants such as stone shield sealer and garnet blast media.    Abatement certification must be submitted for this item.