OSHA Inspection: CHURCH HOMES INC.,CONGREGATIONAL DBA AVERY HEIGHTS

Issued

Aug 24, 2015

Abate by

Oct 9, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,000 · Current $2,400 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.37(a)(2): Exit routes were not arranged so that employees did not have to travel toward a high hazard area:    Noble Building Exit near Aquatic Center    On or about 7/9/15, several five gallon containers and fifty-five gallon drums of sodium hypochlorite and hydrochloric acid were located in an alcove where an exit discharges to the outside of the building.

Issued

Aug 24, 2015

Abate by

Oct 9, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,000 · Current $2,400 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.120(q)(1): The employer did not develop and implement an emergency response plan to handle anticipated emergencies prior to commencement of emergency response operations:    Aquatic Center, pool chemical storage area    On or about 7/9/15, maintenance employees were required to pour 5-gallon containers of hydrochloric acid and sodium hypochlorite into 55-gallon drums.  An emergency response plan was not developed and implemented to handle  anticipated emergencies involving these chemicals.

Issued

Aug 24, 2015

Abate by

Oct 9, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,000 · Current $2,400 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(d)(1): 29 CFR 1910.132(d)(1): The employer did not assess the workplace to determine if hazards were present, or were likely to be present, which necessitated the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).  If such hazards were present, or likely to be present, the employer did not: (i) Select, and have each affected employee use, the types of PPE that would protect the affected employee from the hazards identified in the hazard assessment; (ii) Communicate selection decisions to each affected employee; and (iii) Select PPE that properly fit each affected employee:    Aquatic Center, pool chemical storage area    On or about 7/9/15, a hazard assessment had not been done for the task of pouring five gallon containers of sodium hypochlorite and hydrochloric acid into 55-gallon drums for use in the pool.

Issued

Aug 24, 2015

Abate by

Oct 9, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.133(a)(1): The employer did not ensure that each affected employee uses appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to eye or face hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation:  Aquatic Center, pool chemical storage area  On or about 7/9/15, maintenance employees were not required to wear eye/face protection while pouring corrosive chemicals, used in the pool area.  The chemicals used were hydrochloric acid and sodium hypochlorite.  The safety data sheets for both chemicals indicate that they are corrosive and cause severe eye damage.

Issued

Aug 24, 2015

Abate by

Oct 9, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.138(a): The employer did not select and require employee(s) to use appropriate hand protection when employees' hands were exposed to hazards such as those from skin absorption of harmful substances; severe cuts or lacerations; severe abrasion; punctures; chemical burns; thermal burns; and harmful temperature extremesAquatic Center, pool chemical storage area  On or about 7/9/15, maintenance employees were not required to wear hand protection while pouring corrosive chemicals, used in the pool area.  The chemicals used were hydrochloric acid and sodium hypochlorite.  The safety data sheets for both chemicals indicate that they are corrosive and cause severe skin burns.

Issued

Aug 24, 2015

Abate by

Oct 9, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,000 · Current $2,400 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1): A written respiratory protection program that included the provisions in 29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1)(i) - (ix) with worksite specific procedures was not established and implemented for required respirator use.    Aquatic Center, pool chemical storage area    On or about 7/9/15, maintenance employees were required to wear an AOSafety elastomeric air purifying respirator with organic vapor cartridges when pouring pool chemicals.  The employer did not have a written respiratory protection program to ensure all requirements for safe use were met.

Issued

Aug 24, 2015

Abate by

Oct 9, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(d)(1)(i): The employer did not select and provide an appropriate respirator based on the respiratory hazard(s) to which the worker is exposed:  Aquatic Center, pool chemical storage area  On or about 7/9/15, the employer did not select and supply the correct respirator for the hazard associated with pouring the pool chemicals.  The pool chemicals included hydrochloric acid and sodium hypochlorite.  The respirator used was a half mask air purifying respirator with an organic vapor cartridge.

Issued

Aug 24, 2015

Abate by

Oct 9, 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.  Aquatic Center, pool chemical storage  On or about 7/9/15, maintenance employees were required to wear half-face air purifying respirators while pouring pool chemicals without having received a medical evaluation to determine whether or not wearing the respirator would not pose a hazard to them.

Issued

Aug 24, 2015

Abate by

Oct 9, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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):  Aquatic Center, pool chemical storage area  On or about 7/9/15, the maintenance employees were required to wear tight-fitting facepiece respirators while pouring hydrochloric acid and sodium hypochlorite without having had a fit test to determine an adequate seal of the mask to the face existed to ensure prevention of exposure.

Issued

Aug 24, 2015

Abate by

Oct 9, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(h)(1): Respirators were not cleaned and disinfected using the procedures in Appendix B-2 of 29 CFR 1910.134 or equivalent procedures recommended by the respirator manufacturer:  Aquatic Center, pool chemical storage area  On or about 7/9/15, maintenance employees used a respirator mask while pouring pool chemicals that was not cleaned and disinfected.  The same mask is used by all maintenance employees that may perform this task, without appropriate cleaning and disinfecting between users.

Issued

Aug 24, 2015

Abate by

Oct 9, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(h)(2)(i): Respirators were not stored to protect them from damage, contamination, dust, sunlight, extreme temperatures, excessive moisture, and damaging chemicals or  were not packed or stored to prevent deformation of the facepiece and exhalation valve:  Aquatic Center, pool chemical storage area  On or about 7/9/15, the respirator used by the maintenance employees when they poured the pool chemicals was being stored outside, in the chemical storage area without any protection from chemical contamination, dust/dirt, temperature extremes or moisture.

Issued

Aug 24, 2015

Abate by

Oct 9, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k): The employer did not provide comprehensive, understandable training which did not occur annually and/or more often if necessary:  Aquatic Center, pool storage area  On or about 7/9/15, the maintenance employees were provided and required to wear a respirator for which they received no training.  Required training includes, but is not limited to, donning and doffing, use and limitations, cleaning, storage and inspection.

Issued

Aug 24, 2015

Abate by

Oct 9, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,000 · Current $2,400 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.151(c): Where employees were exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body were not provided within the work area for immediate emergency use:    Aquatic Center, pool chemical storage area    In the following instances, maintenance employees were exposed to the corrosive materials without the availability of quick drenching facilities:   1. When pouring hydrochloric acid and sodium hypochlorite into 55-gallon drums in outside storage area for use in the pool.  Both chemical safety data sheets indicate that they are corrosive to the skin and cause severe eye damage.  2. The inside room, where the chemicals pass through to pumps and some chemical is also stored, had an eyewash and safety shower that was blocked and made inaccessible by chemical containers stored in front of it and a privacy curtain assembly that was hanging from the shower pipe.