OSHA Inspection: ACE IRRIGATION AND MFG. CO.

Issued

Jul 9, 2015

Abate by

Aug 25, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,200 · Current $2,940 Reduced

Hazardous substances 2610

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1): Where the employer required employees to wear respirators, the employer did not establish and implement a written respiratory protection program with worksite specific procedures, as specified in subparagraphs (c)(1)(i) through (ix) of this section:    Jobsite: The employer failed to establish and implement a written respiratory protection program for employees required to wear SURVIVAIR Series 2000 Belt Mounted Half Mask Respirators in the workplace.    Abatement certification is required for this violation.  The abatement certification sheet is enclosed with the citations.

Issued

Jul 9, 2015

Abate by

Aug 25, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 2610

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:    Jobsite: The employer failed to provide medical evaluation prior to requiring employees to wear SURVIVAIR Series 2000 Belt Mounted Half Mask Respirators in the workplace.    Abatement certification is required for this violation.  The abatement certification sheet is enclosed with the citations.

Issued

Jul 9, 2015

Abate by

Aug 25, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,200 · Current $2,940 Reduced

Hazardous substances 2610

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):    Jobsite: The employer failed to ensure fit testing prior to requiring employees to wear SURVIVAIR Series 2000 Belt Mounted Half Mask Respirators in the workplace.    Abatement certification is required for this violation.  The abatement certification sheet is enclosed with the citations.

Issued

Jul 9, 2015

Abate by

Aug 25, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,200 · Current $2,940 Reduced

Hazardous substances 2610

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(g)(1)(i)(A): Respirators with tight-fitting facepieces were worn by employees who had facial hair that came between the sealing surface of the facepiece and the face or that interfered with valve function:  Jobsite: On or about 04/09/2015, and at times prior thereto, the employer allowed employees required to wear SURVIVAIR Series 2000 Belt Mounted Half Mask Respirators to have facial hair which interfered with the seal of the facepiece.    The following monitored employee was overexposed to Zinc Oxide fumes in excess of the PEL (all calculations assumed zero exposure for the unsampled period of time):      A welder was exposed to Zinc Oxide at an 8-hour time-weighted average of 8.3 milligrams per cubic meter of air, approximately 1.7 times the PEL of 5 milligrams per cubic meter of air. Sampling was performed for 384 minutes on 04/09/2015.  Abatement certification is required for this violation.  The abatement certification sheet is enclosed with the citations.

Issued

Jul 9, 2015

Abate by

Aug 25, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 2610

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(a)(2): Employee(s) were exposed to an airborne concentration of Zinc Oxide listed in Table Z-1 in excess of the 8 hour Time Weighted Average concentration of 5 mg/m3:  The following monitored employee was overexposed to Zinc Oxide fumes in excess of the PEL (all calculations assumed zero exposure for the unsampled period of time):    A welder was exposed to Zinc Oxide at an 8-hour time-weighted average of 8.3 milligrams per cubic meter of air, approximately 1.7 times the PEL of 5 milligrams per cubic meter of air. Sampling was performed for 384 minutes on 04/09/2015.  Abatement certification is required for this violation.  The abatement certification sheet is enclosed with the citations.

Issued

Jul 9, 2015

Abate by

Nov 20, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 2610

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(e): To achieve compliance with paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, administrative or engineering controls must first be determined and implemented whenever feasible. When such controls are not feasible to achieve full compliance, protective equipment or any other protective measures shall be used to keep the exposure of employees to air contaminants within the limits prescribed in this section. Any equipment and/or technical measures used for this purpose must be approved for each particular use by a competent industrial hygienist or other technically qualified person. Whenever respirators are used, their use shall comply with �1910.134. Therefore, the employer did not determine and implement administrative or engineering controls where feasible to achieve compliance with paragraphs (a) through (d) of 29 CFR 1910.1000:  The following monitored employee was overexposed to Zinc Oxide fumes in excess of the PEL (all calculations assumed zero exposure for the unsampled period of time):    A welder was exposed to Zinc Oxide at an 8-hour time-weighted average of 8.3 milligrams per cubic meter of air, approximately 1.7 times the PEL of 5 milligrams per cubic meter of air. Sampling was performed for 384 minutes on 04/09/2015.  Abatement certification and abatement documentation is required for this violation.  The documentation should include written verification of abatement, applicable measurements or monitoring results, and photographs or videos which you believe will be helpful.  The abatement certification sheet is enclosed with the citations.

Issued

Jul 9, 2015

Abate by

Aug 25, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,200 · Current $2,940 Reduced

Hazardous substances 2610

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:    Jobsite: Employees are required to perform tasks, such as, but not limited to, welding and torch cutting exposing them to hazardous chemicals. Yet the employer is failing to provide employees training to recognize, evaluate and control exposure to hazardous chemicals including, but not limited to, Zinc Oxide.    Abatement certification is required for this violation.  The abatement certification sheet is enclosed with the citations.