OSHA Inspection: SUNCOKE ENERGY

Issued

Jul 6, 2015

Abate by

Aug 20, 2015

Penalty

Initial $5,100 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0725

General-duty citation text

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1):   The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which was free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to fall hazards of five to six feet to ground due to failure of the fall protection trolley system structural members  while working on the elevated coke oven platform (bench) in that:  (a)  The trolley beam on A,B,C,D Battery Coke Oven Bench was bent, preventing the fall arrest trolley from traveling freely.  Employees were thereby exposed to strains and sprains due to the abrupt stoppage of trolley or falls in the event the trolley separated from the beam.   In accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19(d), abatement certification is required for this violation (using the CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTIVE ACTION WORKSHEET), and in addition, documentation demonstrating that abatement is complete must be included with your certification.  This documentation may include, but is not limited to, evidence of the purchase or repair of the equipment, photographic or video evidence, or written records.

Issued

Jul 6, 2015

Abate by

Aug 20, 2015

Penalty

Initial $5,100 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0725C131

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(a)(1): All places of employment, passageways, storerooms or service rooms were not kept clean and orderly or in a sanitary condition.  (a)  All of the change rooms were not clean, in that there was a thick layer of black coke or coal dust on top of the rows of lockers and on the floor.  (b)  Empty hangers, candy wrappers and empty soft drink containers were left on top of lockers and on the floor in the men's, women's and maintenance change rooms.  In accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19(d), abatement certification is required for this violation (using the CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTIVE ACTION WORKSHEET), and in addition, documentation demonstrating that abatement is complete must be included with your certification.  This documentation may include, but is not limited to, evidence of the purchase or repair of the equipment, photographic or video evidence, or written records.

Issued

Jul 6, 2015

Abate by

Aug 20, 2015

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances 07258330

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(a):  Protective equipment, including personal protective equipment for eyes, face, head, and extremities, protective clothing, respiratory devices, and protective shields and barriers, shall be provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition wherever it is necessary by reason of hazards of processes or environment, chemical hazards, radiological hazards, or mechanical irritants encountered in a manner capable of causing injury or impairment in the function of any part of the body through absorption, inhalation or physical contact.  (a)  On or about January 15, 2015 and prior to that time, employees performing their job duties on the oven bench were required to use retractable fall protection lanyards attached to a trolley system which were not being maintained in a reliable condition, in that the anchorage beams were exposed to being hit by the refractory on the oven doors as the doors were opened and closed during the pushing process which could bend or break the beams, causing the trolleys to catch on the bent beam or fall off of the broken beam, either exposing employees to a fall of approximately six feet, where they would hang within four feet or less of the 1200 to 2000 degree F coke ovens, or hitting employees.                (b)  On or about April 1, 2015 employees performing their job duties on the oven bench were required to use retractable fall protection lanyards attached to a trolley system which were not being maintained in a reliable condition, in that the cotter pins were replaced with cotter rings, which were not durable enough for the exposure to heat from the 1200 to 2000 degree F coke ovens and outdoor weather conditions, causing the cotter rings to fail to hold the fall protection trolley together.  The trolleys fell apart, hitting or barely missing employees and leaving the employees stranded on the oven bench without fall protection.      (c)  The employer did not ensure that each employee was provided with sufficient protective clothing to start each work shift with a clean uniform.  Employees, who had medical conditions that required them to shower and change clothing every 10 hours, did not have enough clean protective clothing to make it through until the next laundry delivery and worked overtime each week.  In accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19(d), abatement certification is required for this violation (using the CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTIVE ACTION WORKSHEET), and in addition, documentation demonstrating that abatement is complete must be included with your certification.  This documentation may include, but is not limited to, evidence of the purchase or repair of the equipment, photographic or video evidence, or written records.

Issued

Jul 6, 2015

Abate by

Jul 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $5,100 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0725C131

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.141(d)(3)(i): Whenever showers are required by a particular standard, the showers shall be provided in accordance with paragraphs (d)(3)(ii) through (v) of this section.  (a)  Body soap or other appropriate cleansing agents convenient to the showers were not provided in appropriate quantities, as specified in paragraph (d)(3)(iii) of 29 CFR 1910.141.  (b)  Showers were not always provided with enough hot water for all employees who were required to shower during a shift to have a hot or warm shower.  (c)   Employees who use showers were not provided with enough individual clean towels to last until the next clean laundry delivery.  (d)  The shower drains in the main men's shower room back up if more than four people shower at the same time.  In accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19(d), abatement certification is required for this violation (using the CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTIVE ACTION WORKSHEET), and in addition, documentation demonstrating that abatement is complete must be included with your certification.  This documentation may include, but is not limited to, evidence of the purchase or repair of the equipment, photographic or video evidence, or written records.

Issued

Jul 6, 2015

Abate by

Aug 20, 2015

Penalty

Initial $5,100 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0725C131

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.141(e): Where employees were required by a particular standard to wear protective clothing because of the possibility of contamination with toxic materials, the employer did not provide change rooms equipped with storage facilities for street clothes and separate storage facilities for protective clothing and equipment:    (a)  The lockers provided in the change rooms were not large enough to hold employees' street clothing, coats and shoes on the clean side and personal protective equipment, including metatarsal safety shoes, hardhats, safety glasses and work coats, on the dirty side.  (b)  The employees stored shower shoes and street shoes alongside contaminated safety shoes and hard hats on top of or underneath the rows of lockers in the change rooms.  (c)  The maintenance lockers had open grating on the front of the doors which allowed dirt and dust to enter the clean lockers.  (d)  All of the change rooms were not clean, in that there was a thick layer of black dust on top of the rows of lockers with hangers, candy wrappers and empty soft drink containers on top of lockers and on the floor.  In accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19(d), abatement certification is required for this violation (using the CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTIVE ACTION WORKSHEET), and in addition, documentation demonstrating that abatement is complete must be included with your certification.  This documentation may include, but is not limited to, evidence of the purchase or repair of the equipment, photographic or video evidence, or written records.

Issued

Jul 6, 2015

Abate by

Jul 23, 2015

Penalty

Initial $5,100 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances 07258330C131

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.141(g)(2): Employees were permitted to consume food or beverage in a toilet room or in an area exposed to a toxic material.   (a)  On or about April 16, 2015, during a walk through of the work area to check air sampling pumps, two cans of tobacco/snuff were observed in the Pusher Charger Machine (PCM) cab, on the dash board beside a bottle of water while the machine was in operation and the operator was seated at the controls.    (b)  Employees consumed food and beverages in the change rooms, where employees left wrappers from candy and snacks and empty soft drink containers on top of the lockers where contaminated safety shoes and hard hats were stored next to street shoes and shower shoes and where employees had to collect contaminated clothing after they showered and changed into street clothes to carry it to the dirty laundry containers.  In accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19(d), abatement certification is required for this violation (using the CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTIVE ACTION WORKSHEET), and in addition, documentation demonstrating that abatement is complete must be included with your certification.  This documentation may include, but is not limited to, evidence of the purchase or repair of the equipment, photographic or video evidence, or written records.

Issued

Jul 6, 2015

Abate by

Jul 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $850 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1904.4(a): The employer did not record each work-related fatality, injury or illness case that resulted in the general recording criteria on the OSHA Form 300 or equivalent.    On or about 5/22/2015, SunCoke Energy, the employer, did not record the following workplace injuries or illnesses on the OSHA Form 300 or equivalent for the calendar year 2015.   (a)  On or about March 10, 2015, a recordable injury occurred when an employee received approximately 49 days away from work due to a rotator cuff sprain and prescription medication for pain.    In accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19(d), abatement certification is required for this violation (using the CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTIVE ACTION WORKSHEET), and in addition, documentation demonstrating that abatement is complete must be included with your certification.  This documentation may include, but is not limited to, evidence of the purchase or repair of the equipment, photographic or video evidence, or written records.