OSHA Inspection: ATLAS INDUSTRIAL MFG. CO.

Issued

Mar 4, 2015

Abate by

Apr 20, 2015

Penalty

Initial $3,150 · Current $1,575 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3)(iii)(B)(2): The employer did not implement a change schedule for respirators not equipped with an End of Service Life Indicator that would ensure cartridges were changed before the end of their service life:(a) (LOCATION) (IDENTIFY SPECIFIC OPERATION/CONDITION) (DESCRIBE HAZARD)Note:  The employer may provide an air-purifying respirator provided the respirator is equipped with end-of-service-life indicators or a change schedule has been developed. Otherwise, the employer must provide an atmosphere-supplying respirator.   a) Fabrication/Production Dept.: A change schedule for respirators cartridge provided to protect welders against welding fumes and hexavalent chromium was not implemented, on or about 12/29/14.

Issued

Mar 4, 2015

Abate by

Apr 30, 2015

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) (LOCATION) (IDENTIFY SPECIFIC OPERATION/CONDITION) (DESCRIBE HAZARD) Note:  The employer may discontinue an employee's medical evaluations when the employee is no longer required to use a respirator.    a) Fabrication/Production Dept.: Medical evaluation to determine the employees ability to wear a respirator was not provided to those who were exposed to hexavalent chromium and were required to wear a negative pressure respirator, on or about 12/29/14.

Issued

Mar 4, 2015

Abate by

Apr 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(2): Employee(s) using tight-fitting facepiece respirators were not fit tested prior to initial use of the respirator:    a) Fabrication/Production Dept.: Employees were required to wear a negative pressure air purifying respirator (North half-face, P-100) but were not fit-tested prior to initial use of the respirator, on or about 12/29/14.

Issued

Mar 4, 2015

Abate by

Apr 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $3,150 · Current $1,575 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(c)(1): The employer did not evaluate the workplace to determine if any spaces were permit-required confined spaces:    a) Fabrication/Production Dept.: The employer did not evaluate the workplace to identify spaces that meet the definition of a permit space, on or about 12/29/14.

Issued

Mar 4, 2015

Abate by

Apr 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(c)(2): The employer did not inform exposed employees, by posting danger signs or by any other equally effective means, of the existence and location of and the danger posed by the permit spaces: A sign reading DANGER-PERMIT-REQUIRED CONFINED SPACE, DO NOT ENTER or using other similar language would satisfy the requirement for a sign.    a) Fabrication/Production Dept.: The employer did not inform exposed employees of the existence and location of permit spaces by posting danger signs or by any other equally effective means, on or about 12/29/14.

Issued

Mar 4, 2015

Abate by

Apr 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $3,150 · Current $1,575 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(d)(5)(i): Under the permit-required confined space program required by 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4), the employer did not evaluate permit space conditions when entry operations were conducted by testing conditions in the permit space to determine if acceptable entry conditions exist before entry is authorized:    a) Fabrication/Production Dept.: The employer did not test the condition inside the 26 feet long, 24 inches in diameter, stainless steel circular pipe to determine if acceptable conditions existed before employee was authorized to enter, on or about 12/18/14.

Issued

Mar 4, 2015

Abate by

Apr 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(d)(5)(ii): Under the permit-required confined space program required by 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4), the employer did not evaluate permit space conditions when entry operations were conducted by testing or monitoring the permit space as necessary:      a) Fabrication/Production Dept.: The employer did not test the condition inside the 26 feet long, 24 inches in diameter, stainless steel circular pipe during welding operation to determine if acceptable entry conditions were being maintained, on or about 12/18/14.

Issued

Mar 4, 2015

Abate by

Apr 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(d)(6): The employer did not provide at least one attendant outside the permit space into which entry was authorized for the duration of entry operations:    a) Fabrication/Production Dept.:  No attendant was provided during welding inside a 6 feet long stainless steel attachment pipe into a 26 feet long, 24 inches in diameter, circular stainless steel pipe, on or about 12/18/14.

Issued

Mar 4, 2015

Abate by

Apr 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(f)(11): The entry permit that documented compliance and authorized entry to a permit space did not identify the rescue and emergency services to be summoned and the means for summoning those services:     a) Fabrication/Production Dept.: The entry permit that document compliance and authorized entry to a permit space did not identify the rescue and emergency services, on or about 12/18/14.

Issued

Mar 4, 2015

Abate by

Apr 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,410 · Current $2,205 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(c): Employees were exposed to an airborne concentration of chromium (VI) which exceeded 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air, as an 8-hour time-weighted average:       a) Fabrication/Production Dept.: A welder was exposed to air borne hexavalent chromium of approximately 12 microgram/m3 which is 2.3 times the OSHA-PEL of 5 microgram/m3, which is calculated as an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA).  Zero exposure was assumed for unsampled time, on or about 12/29/14.

Issued

Mar 4, 2015

Abate by

Apr 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(d)(2)(iii): The employer used the scheduled monitoring option, and monitoring revealed employee exposures to chromium (VI) to be at or above the action level; however, the employer did not perform periodic monitoring at least every six months:    a) Fabrication/Production Dept.: A welder was exposed to air borne hexavalent chromium of approximately 12 microgram/m3 which is 2.3 times the OSHA-PEL of 5 microgram/m3, which is calculated as an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA).  The employer did not perform periodic monitoring at least every 6 month, on or about 12/29/14.

Issued

Mar 4, 2015

Abate by

Apr 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(e)(1): The employer did not establish a regulated area wherever an employee's exposure to airborne concentrations of chromium (VI) was, or could reasonably be expected to be, in excess of the permissible exposure limit:     a) Fabrication/Production Dept.: A welder was exposed to air borne hexavalent chromium of approximately 12 microgram/m3 which is 2.3 times the OSHA-PEL of 5 microgram/m3, which is calculated as an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA).  The employer did not establish a regulated area, on or about 12/29/14.

Issued

Mar 4, 2015

Abate by

Apr 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(f)(1)(i): Feasible engineering controls and work practices were not instituted to reduce and maintain employee exposures to chromium (VI) at or below the permissible exposure limit:(a) (LOCATION) (IDENTIFY SPECIFIC OPERATIONS AND/OR DEPARTMENTS) (DESCRIBE CONDITIONS INCLUDING EXPOSURE LEVELS)Group with violation of the permissible exposure limit (PEL), where overexposure is determined.      a) Fabrication/Production Dept.: Feasible engineering and work practice controls were not used to reduce employee exposure to hexavalent chromium below the permissible exposure level, on or about 12/29/14.

Issued

Mar 4, 2015

Abate by

Apr 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(k)(1)(i)(A): The employer did not make medical surveillance available for all employees who were or could be occupationally exposed to chromium (VI) at or above the action level for 30 or more days a year:     a) Fabrication/Production Dept.: A welder was exposed to air borne hexavalent chromium of approximately 12 microgram/m3 which is 2.3 times the OSHA-PEL of 5 microgram/m3, which is calculated as an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA).  Medical surveillance was not made available to affected employees, on or about 12/29/14.

Issued

Mar 4, 2015

Abate by

Apr 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(k)(2)(i): The employer did not provide a medical examination within 30 days after initial assignment:    a) Fabrication/Production Dept.: Medical examination for hexavalent chromium was not provided within 30 days after initial assignment, on or about 12/29/14.

Issued

Mar 4, 2015

Abate by

Apr 20, 2015

Penalty

Initial $2,520 · Current $1,260 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(j)(2)(iii): The employer allowed the use of compressed air to remove chromium VI from any surface:   a) Fabrication/Production Dept.: The employer did not ensure that compressed air is not used to clean surfaces contaminated with hexavalent chromium, on or about 12/29/14.

Issued

Mar 4, 2015

Abate by

Apr 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $2,520 · Current $1,260 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(l)(1)(iii): Employers shall include chromium (VI) in the hazard communication program established to comply with the HCS (� 1910.1200). Employers shall ensure that each employee has access to labels on containers of chromium (VI) and to safety data sheets, and is trained in accordance with the requirements of HCS and paragraph (l)(2) of this section.     a) Fabrication/Production Dept.: The employers hazard communication program did not include hexavalent chromium hazards, on or about 12/29/14.