OSHA Inspection: AEROQUEST INC

Issued

Jan 7, 2016

Abate by

Jan 27, 2016

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,430 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:  On or about July 22, 2015:  Employees in the trimming area, who were exposed to total dust, wore either a 3M full face or half face respirators while performing trimming, cutting, and grinding operations. The employer failed to ensure a respiratory protection program was established and implemented.

Issued

Jan 7, 2016

Abate by

Jan 27, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9135

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:  On or about July 22, 2015:  Employees in the trimming area, who were exposed to total dust, wore either a 3M full face or half face respirators while performing trimming, cutting, and grinding operations. The employer failed to ensure employees were medically able to wear respirators.

Issued

Jan 7, 2016

Abate by

Jan 27, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9135

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):  On or about July 22, 2015:  Employees in the trimming area, who were exposed to total dust, wore either a 3M full face or half face respirators while performing trimming, cutting, and grinding operations. The employer failed to ensure employees were fit tested prior to respirator use.

Issued

Jan 7, 2016

Abate by

Jan 27, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9135

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:  On or about July 22, 2015:  Employees in the trimming area, who were exposed to total dust, wore either a 3M full face or half face respirators while performing trimming, cutting, and grinding operations. The employer failed to ensure employees were clean shaven prior to respirator use.

Issued

Jan 7, 2016

Abate by

Jan 27, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9135

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:  On or about July 22, 2015:  a)  Employees in the trimming area, who were exposed to total dust, wore either a 3M full face or half face respirators while performing trimming, cutting, and grinding operations. The employer failed to train employees on respirator use.  b)  An employee in the Infusion area working with composite parts voluntarily wore dust masks.  The employer failed to ensure employees were trained on the proper way to wear a two-strap respirator.

Issued

Jan 7, 2016

Abate by

Jan 27, 2016

Penalty

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

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:  On or about July 22, 2015:  Employees preparing composite materials used latex gloves while exposed to skin contact with chemicals such as but not limited to, adhesion promoters and polyester resins containing styrene and other ingredients.  The employer did not select appropriate hand protection for employees.

Issued

Jan 7, 2016

Abate by

Jan 27, 2016

Penalty

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

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(b)(2): Listed or labeled electrical equipment was not used or installed in accordance with instructions included in the listing or labeling:  On or about July 22, 2015:  a)  Employees in the casting/spraying area were exposed to electrical shock as power strips were used to provide power to equipment such as weighing scales and chargers.  b)  Employees in the composite area were exposed to electrical shock as power strips were daisy chained and used to provide power to equipment such as scales used for batch weighing and mixing chemicals.

Issued

Jan 7, 2016

Abate by

Jan 27, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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:  On or about July 22, 2015:  a)  Employees in the casting/spraying area were exposed to electrical shock as extension cords and power strips were used as permanent wiring to provide power to equipment such as weighing scales and chargers.  b)  Employees in the composite area were exposed to electrical shock as extension cords and power strips were used as permanent wiring to provide power to equipment such as scales used for batch weighing and mixing chemicals.

Issued

Jan 7, 2016

Abate by

Feb 11, 2016

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,430 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(a)(2): Employee(s) were exposed to an airborne concentration of Total Dust listed in Table Z-1 in excess of the 8 hour Time Weighted Average concentration of 15 mg/m3:  a)  On or about November 17, 2015, in the trimming area, an employee performing rough cutting and grinding operations was overexposed to Total Dust at a concentration of 85.98 mg/m3 expressed as an 8-hour time weighted average of approximately 5.7 times the daily Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 15 mg/m3 based on a 421 minute sampling period; exposure calculations included a zero-increment for the unsampled period of 59 minutes.  b)  On or about November 17, 2015, in the trimming area, an employee performing routing, tab removal, and grinding operations was overexposed to Total Dust at a concentration of 24.33 mg/m3 expressed as an 8-hour time weighted average of approximately 1.6 times the daily Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 15 mg/m3 based on a 445 minute sampling period; exposure calculations included a zero-increment for the unsampled period of 35 minutes.

Issued

Jan 7, 2016

Abate by

Feb 11, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(e): Feasible administrative or engineering controls were not determined and implemented to achieve compliance with the limits prescribed in 29 CFR 1910.1000(a) through (d):  a)  On or about November 17, 2015, in the trimming area, an employee performing rough cutting and grinding operations was overexposed to Total Dust at a concentration of 85.98 mg/m3 expressed as an 8-hour time weighted average of approximately 5.7 times the daily Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 15 mg/m3 based on a 421 minute sampling period; exposure calculations included a zero-increment for the unsampled period of 59 minutes.  b)  On or about November 17, 2015, in the trimming area, an employee performing routing, tab removal, and grinding operations was overexposed to Total Dust at a concentration of 24.33 mg/m3 expressed as an 8-hour time weighted average of approximately 1.6 times the daily Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 15 mg/m3 based on a 445 minute sampling period; exposure calculations included a zero-increment for the unsampled period of 35 minutes.  Feasible engineering controls, such as but not limited to, ventilation was not implemented to ensure employees were not overexposed to total dust.

Issued

Jan 7, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(8):   The employer did not maintain in the workplace copies of the required safety data sheets for each hazardous chemical  On or about July 22, 2015:  Employees preparing composite materials used various chemicals such as but not limited to, Reichhold Promoter.  The employer did not maintain safety data sheets for all chemicals used in the workplace.