OSHA Inspection: NTN-BOWER CORPORATION

Issued

May 28, 2015

Abate by

Jul 15, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,000 · Current $2,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.111(b)(10)(ii): Stationary ammonia storage installation(s) did not have at least two suitable gas masks in readily-accessible locations:    The employer had two 1000 gallon ammonia storage tanks located at the North side of the building containing 99% anhydrous ammonia and did not have at least two gas masks in readily-accessible locations.

Issued

May 28, 2015

Abate by

Aug 15, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,000 · Current $2,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(d)(1)(iii): The employer did not identify and evaluate the respiratory hazard(s) in the workplace; including a reasonable estimate of employee exposures to respiratory hazards and identification of the contaminant's chemical state and physical form:    Employees cut and shaped fire bricks that contains silica while performing maintenance and repair work in the carburizing furnaces and these tasks had not been previously evaluated to assess the levels of air contaminants to which employees were exposed.

Issued

May 28, 2015

Abate by

Aug 15, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,000 · Current $2,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(d)(3)(iii): Under the permit-required confined space program required by 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4), the employer did not develop and implement the means, procedures, and practices necessary for safe permit space entry operations, including isolating the permit space.    The employer did not develop and implement the means, procedures, and practices necessary for safe permit space entry operations, including isolating the permit space by blanking or blinding, misaligning or by using a double block and bleed system for the natural gas, Rx gas, nitrogen gas and ammonia supplies for the furnaces in the Heat Treat area.

Issued

May 28, 2015

Abate by

Jul 15, 2015

Penalty

Initial $3,000 · Current $2,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(f)(7): The entry permit that documented compliance and authorized entry to a permit space did not identify the hazards of the permit space to be entered:    Maintenance employees are required to perform work in permit-required confined spaces, and the entry permit being used by the employer did not did not specify the hazards of the permit space to be entered.

Issued

May 28, 2015

Abate by

Jul 15, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,000 · Current $3,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(B): The energy control procedures did not clearly and specifically outline the steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy.    The employer did not ensure that the energy control procedures in the "Lock-out / Tag-out Checklist" for the natural gas, Rx gas, nitrogen gas and ammonia supplies for the furnaces in the Heat Treat area clearly and specifically outline the steps for isolating the gas supply lines to control hazardous energy.

Issued

May 28, 2015

Abate by

Jul 15, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(C): The energy control procedure did not clearly and specifically outline the steps for placement, removal and transfer of lockout devices or tagout devices and the responsibility for them.  The employer did not ensure that the energy control procedures in the "Lock-out / Tag-out Checklist" for the natural gas, Rx gas, nitrogen gas and ammonia supplies for the furnaces in the Heat Treat area had specific procedural steps for the placement and removal of lockout and/or tagout devices.

Issued

May 28, 2015

Abate by

Jul 15, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(D): Specific requirements for testing a machine or equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of lockout devices, tagout devices, and other energy control measures.  The employer did not ensure that the energy control procedures in the "Lock-out / Tag-out Checklist" for the natural gas, Rx gas, nitrogen gas and ammonia supplies for the furnaces in the Heat Treat area had specific requirements for testing the equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of lockout devices, tagout devices, and other energy control measures.

Issued

May 28, 2015

Abate by

Jul 15, 2015

Penalty

Initial $5,000 · Current $2,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(3)(ii): The  point of operation of machines whose operation exposed an employee to injury, was not guarded:    On January 14, 2015, a Maintenance employee used a portable masonry saw (Norton Clipper Mode No: BH-25-UX, Serial No.: X1015) to cut fire brick and the there was no lower blade guard.

Issued

May 28, 2015

Abate by

Aug 15, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,000 · Current $2,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(3): The employee training did not include the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(3)(i) through (h)(3)(iv):    Employees working in the Heat Treat area were exposed to hazardous chemicals such as anhydrous ammonia and silica and they had not been provided information or training on the physical and health hazards of such chemicals.

Issued

May 28, 2015

Abate by

Jul 15, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(2)(i): Respirator users were not provided with the information contained in Appendix D to 29 CFR 1910.134 when the employer determined that any voluntary respirator use was permissible:  Employees voluntarily wear filter facepiece respirators (dusk masks) while performing maintenance and repair work in the carburizing furnaces and did not provide the employees with the information in Appendix D of 29 CFR 1910.134