OSHA Inspection: GENERAL PLASTICS CORPORATION

Issued

May 4, 2015

Abate by

Jun 19, 2015

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,350 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(c)(1): Open-sided floor(s) or platform(s) 4 feet (1.22 m) or more above the adjacent floor or ground level were not guarded by standard railings (or the equivalent as specified in 29 CFR 1910.23(e)(3) of this section) on all open sides:    a) Dispersion room    Working platform for Operating tank #5 was not guarded with standard railings to prevent employees from falling while adding nylon pellets to tank.   Employees were exposed to fall hazard of 6.3 feet to the ground below while working on tank platform.       Condition observed on or about 2/11/2015.    b)  Outside bulk storage area    Top of bulk storage tank for methanol was not guarded with standard railings to prevent employees from falling while manually measuring volume of product in tank. Employees were exposed to fall hazard of 8.3 feet while standing on top of tank to take measurements.    Conditions observed on or about 2/11/2015.

Issued

May 4, 2015

Abate by

Jun 19, 2015

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,350 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.27(c)(4): The distance from the centerline of rungs, cleats, or steps to the nearest permanent object in back of the ladder was not less than 7 inches:    a) Dispersion room    Employees were exposed to fall hazards of approximately 5 feet while using a fixed adder to access Operation tank #5 in that the horizontal distance between the 4th, 5th and 6th rungs from the bottom of the ladder, were 4 inches, 3.5 inches and 2 inches respectively, from the metal cross bracing behind the ladder.    Conditions observed on or about 2/11/2015.

Issued

May 4, 2015

Abate by

May 14, 2015

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,350 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.36(d)(1): Employee(s) were not able to open an exit route door from the inside at all times without keys, tools, or special knowledge:    a) Dispersion room    Employees were exposed to fire hazards as the exit doors leading from the Dispersion room to the outside was locked.  The employee was not able to open the exit door without the use of a key.      Condition observed on or about 2/11/2015.

Issued

May 4, 2015

Abate by

May 29, 2015

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $1,350 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.106(e)(6)(i): Adequate precautions were not taken to prevent the ignition of flammable vapors from sources such as open flames; lightning; smoking; cutting and welding; hot surfaces; frictional heat; static, electrical, and mechanical sparks; spontaneous ignition, including heat-producing chemical reactions; and radiant heat:    a) Dispersion room    On 1/28/2015, an employee received second degree burns to his face after flammable methanol vapors ignited during the manufacturing of Gental F128A.  The employee was manually dispensing, by free fall, nylon pellets into mixing tank containing approximately 385 gallons of methanol when flammable vapors ignited without adequate bonding and grounding.      Conditions occurred on or about 1/28/2015.

Issued

May 4, 2015

Abate by

Jun 19, 2015

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $1,350 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.107(b)(5)(i): Visible gauges or audible alarm or pressure activated devices were not installed to indicate or insure that the required air velocity is maintained:       a) Custom coatings area    The  Dwyer monometer mounted on the spray booth for specialty coatings was inoperative during spray painting operations involving the use of flammable solvents, to include but not limited to, Corvel primer and Dupont 420G-703.    Violation observed on or about 2/11/2015.

Issued

May 4, 2015

Abate by

May 14, 2015

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $1,350 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(g)(1)(ii): The required working space about electric equipment rated 600 volts, nominal, or less to ground, was used for storage:    a) Dispersion area    A 55 gallon drum was stored within one foot of electrical equipment preventing access for examination, maintenance or in case of an emergency.      Condition observed on or about 2/11/2015.

Issued

May 4, 2015

Abate by

May 29, 2015

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $1,350 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(g)(1)(iv)(A): Flexible cords and/or cables were used as a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure.    a) Custom Coatings area    Flexible cords were used as a substitute for fixed wiring to test equipment exposing employees to an electrical shock.    Observed on or about 2/11/2015.

Issued

May 4, 2015

Abate by

Jul 20, 2015

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,350 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1001(j)(1)(iii): Employer did not include asbestos in the hazard communication program and did not ensure that each employee had access to labels and to safety data sheets, and was trained in accordance with the requirements of HCS and paragraph (j)(7) of this section.    a) 55 La France Ave.  Bloomfield, NJ     The employer did not include asbestos in the hazard communication program for employees conducting maintenance work exposed to asbestos containing material (ACM) and/or presumed asbestos containing material (PACM) in the thermal systems insulation on overhead pipes.      Condition observed on or about 2/11/2015.

Issued

May 4, 2015

Abate by

Jul 20, 2015

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,350 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1001(j)(3)(i): Building and facility owners did not determine the presence, location, and quantity of asbestos containing material (ACM) and/or presumed asbestos containing material (PACM) at the work site and did not exercise due diligence in complying with these requirements to inform employers and employees about the presence and location of ACM and PACM:    a) 55 La France Ave.  Bloomfield, NJ    The employer did not provide information on the presence, location, and quantity of ACM and/or PACM  to employees performing maintenance thermal system insulation (TSI) found on overhead pipes.      Condition occurred on or about 2/11/2015

Issued

May 4, 2015

Abate by

Jul 20, 2015

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,350 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1001(j)(5)(i): The employer did not affix signs or labels so that employees would be notified of what materials contain asbestos containing material (ACM) or presumed asbestos containing material (PACM) to materials that were previously identified to be ACM and/or PACM:    a) 55 La France Ave.  Bloomfield, NJ     The employer did not label thermal system insulation (TSI) found on overhead pipes with signs identifying that asbestos containing material (ACM) or presumed asbestos containing material (PACM) was present.      Condition occurred on or about 2/11/2015

Issued

May 4, 2015

Abate by

May 29, 2015

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,080 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): Employer had not developed or implemented a written hazard communication program included the requirements outlined in 29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1)(i) and (e)(1)(ii):     a) Dispersion room    Employee exposed to methanol, ethanol and propanol while mixing and dispensing dispersion products was not trained on the contents and location of the employer's written hazard communication program.    Condition observed on or about 2/11/2015.

Issued

May 4, 2015

Abate by

May 21, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6)(ii): The employer did not ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace was labeled, tagged or marked with the product identifier and words, pictures, symbols, or combination thereof, which provide at least general information regarding the hazards of the chemicals and which, in conjunction with the other information immediately available to employees under the hazard communication program, would provide employees with the specific information regarding the physical and health hazards of the hazardous chemical:  a) Outside bulk storage area  The employer did not label bulk storage container for methanol.  Employees working around bulk storage containers were not provided with information on the contents of the container.  Condition observed on or about 2/11/2015.

Issued

May 4, 2015

Abate by

May 29, 2015

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) Dispersion room  The employer did not provide training to the employee on the contents and location of the employer's hazard communication program.  Employee is exposed to methanol, ethanol and propanol while mixing and dispensing dispersion products.  Condition observed on or about 2/11/2015.

Issued

May 4, 2015

Abate by

Jun 19, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,000 · Current $1,350 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.107(b)(5)(iv): Space within the spray booth on the downstream and upstream sides of filters were not protected with approved automatic sprinklers:    a) Custom coatings area    Employees were exposed to fire hazards in that the spray booth used for the application of flammable Dupont 420G-703 Primer black was not equipped with a sprinkler system.      Condition was observed on or about 2/11/2015.      General Plastics Corp. was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard, which was contained in OSHA inspection number 315174672, citation number 1, item number 1 and was affirmed as a final order on 04/15/2011, with respect to a workplace located at 55 La France Ave., Bloomfield, NJ 07003.

Issued

May 4, 2015

Abate by

Jul 20, 2015

Penalty

Initial $3,200 · Current $1,350 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1): The employer did not establish and implement a written respiratory protection program with worksite-specific procedures in any workplace where respirators are necessary to protect the health of the employee or whenever respirators are required by the employer:    a) Dispersion room    The employer did not fully implement its written respiratory protection for employees required to wear half face cartridge respirators while mixing and dispensing dispersions containing methanol, ethanol or propanol.    Condition observed on or about 2/11/2015.    General Plastics Corp. was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard, which was contained in OSHA inspection number 315174672, citation number 2, item number 1a and was affirmed as a final order on 04/15/2011, with respect to a workplace located at 55 La France Ave., Bloomfield, NJ 07003.

Issued

May 4, 2015

Abate by

May 29, 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) Dispersion room  The employer did not ensure that employees required to wear half face cartridge respirators while mixing and dispensing dispersions containing methanol, ethanol or propanol were fit tested prior to initial use of respirator.  Condition occurred on or about  2/11/2015.  General Plastics Corp. was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard, which was contained in OSHA inspection number 315174672, citation number 2, item number 1b and was affirmed as a final order on 04/15/2011, with respect to a workplace located at 55 La France Ave., Bloomfield, NJ 07003.