OSHA Inspection: GEM CITY METAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

Issued

Sep 9, 2015

Abate by

Oct 5, 2015

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $1,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(2)(ii): In addition, the employer must establish and implement those elements of a written respiratory protection program necessary to ensure that any employee using a respirator voluntarily is medically able to use that respirator, and that the respirator is cleaned, stored, and maintained so that its use does not present a health hazard to the user. Exception: Employers are not required to include in a written respiratory protection program those employees whose only use of respirators involves the voluntary use of filtering facepieces (dust masks).      The employer did not establish and implement medical evaluations, cleaning, storage and maintenance procedures in a written respiratory protection program for employees voluntarily wearing tight fitting half mask respirators.

Issued

Sep 9, 2015

Abate by

Sep 21, 2015

Penalty

Initial $700 · Current $375 Reduced

Hazardous substances 5010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(d)(1)(iii): The employer shall identify and evaluate the respiratory hazard(s) in the workplace; this evaluation shall include a reasonable estimate of employee exposures to respiratory hazard(s) and an identification of the contaminant's chemical state and physical form. Where the employer cannot identify or reasonably estimate the employee exposure, the employer shall consider the atmosphere to be IDLH.    The employer did not evaluate the respiratory hazards in the workplace while an employee was using the Spark Erosion Grinder on the vertical lathe and the employee was overexposed to mineral oil mist  2.4 times the permissible exposure limit from the metal working fluid.

Issued

Sep 9, 2015

Abate by

Sep 21, 2015

Penalty

Initial $700 · Current $375 Reduced

Hazardous substances 5010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(a)(2): Other substances -- 8-hour Time Weighted Averages. An employee's exposure to any substance in Table Z-1, the exposure limit of which is not preceded by a "C", shall not exceed the 8-hour Time Weighted Average given for that substance any 8-hour work shift of a 40-hour work week.    On or June 3, 2015, an employee running the Spark Erosion Grinder was exposed to an 8 hour time weighted average concentration of approximately 12.01 mg/m3 of mineral oil mist which exceeded the permissible exposure limit by 240% during a sampling period of 448 minutes. Zero exposure was used for the unsampled portion of the shift.        STEP 1: Plan     Submit to the area director a written, detailed plan of abatement outlining a schedule for the implementation of engineering and/or administrative measure to control employee exposure to hazardous substances referenced in this citation.     1. Evaluation of engineering/administrative control options:     2. Selection of optimum control methods and completion of design;     3. Procurement, installation and operation of selected control measures; and     4. Testing and acceptance of modifications/redesign of controls.

Issued

Sep 9, 2015

Abate by

Sep 21, 2015

Penalty

Initial $700 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances 5010

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.  [71 FR 16673, April 3, 2006]    Employees were exposed to mineral oil mist at 240% of the permissible exposure limit, feasible administrative or engineering controls, such as but not limited to local exhaust ventilation and/or changing the work process to exclude using compressed air to clean the part.    STEP 2: Engineering Controls    Abatement shall have been completed by the implementation of feasible engineering and/or administrative   controls upon verification of their effectiveness in achieving compliance.

Issued

Sep 9, 2015

Abate by

Oct 5, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 5010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(d)(2): The employer shall verify that the required workplace hazard assessment has been performed through a written certification that identifies the workplace evaluated; the person certifying that the evaluation has been performed; the date(s) of the hazard assessment; and, which identifies the document as a certification of hazard assessment.  The employer has not verified in writing that a hazard assessment has been performed for employees operating the Spark Erosion Grinder in the tool room.