OSHA Inspection: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, NAVAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING COMMAND

Issued

Nov 5, 2015

Abate by

Dec 24, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2): The employer did not initiate and maintain a safety program which provides for frequent and regular inspections of jobsites, materials, and equipment to be made by a competent person:  Jobsite located at the Lower Base Access Road Near Pier 8:  As required by the referenced standard and 29 CFR 1960.8(b):  On, or about, August 4, 5 and 6, 2015, a competent person was not provided at the jobsite.  During the pour of the grout mixture into the hole to surround the new drainage pipe installation, a competent person was not present on the jobsite to assess the failure of the squash pipe connections and what action needed to be taken to address the new hazards created in the work area including, but not limited to, the presence of caustic material, dust generation and the stability of duct banks.    Abatement Note:  29 CFR 1926.32(f) defines a competent person as one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.

Issued

Nov 5, 2015

Abate by

Dec 24, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2): The employer did not instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the regulations applicable to his/her environment to control or eliminate any hazards or other exposure to illness or injury:  Jobsite located at the Lower Base Access Road Near Pier 8:  As required by the referenced standard and 29 CFR 1960.8(b):  On, or about, August 5 and 6, 2015, a crew of employees who had been assigned to install new drainage piping had not been provided with a level of training sufficient to address hazards that were encountered during the removal of freshly poured grout.  Employees stated that the scope of the work involved in the project went beyond their normal work activities and when the squash pipe connections leaked and the grout had to be removed, they were not prepared to identify and control the newly created hazards in the work area.  Abatement Note:  Job specific training and/or a job briefing for non-routine work activities may abate this hazard.

Issued

Nov 5, 2015

Abate by

Dec 24, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1207(b)(4):  Training required by this section was not provided to each affected employee whenever there was a change in permit space entry operations that presented a hazard about which an employee had not previously been trained:    Jobsite located at the Lower Base Access Road Near Pier 8:  As required by the referenced standard and 29 CFR 1960.8(b):  On, or about, August 4, 5 and 6, 2015, a work crew who had been assigned to install new drainage piping had not been provided with training to address the change in working conditions in the work area when the newly poured grout mixture leaked into the squash pipe connections necessitating the removal of the freshly poured grout.  The members of the work crew, who were mainly pipefitters, stated that they had limited working knowledge of concrete operations and had no previous experience or training when working with freshly poured concrete that needed to be removed.  Also, the confined space training that had been provided was focused on duties of attendants and entrants and did not involve re-evaluating an existing space that had changed significantly from the original work area.

Issued

Nov 5, 2015

Abate by

Dec 24, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1204(c)(3):  Each entry employer did not develop and implement the means, procedures, and practices necessary for safe permit space entry operations, including but not limited to, isolating the permit space and physical hazard(s) within the space:    Jobsite located at the Lower Base Access Road Near Pier 8:  As required by the referenced standard and 29 CFR 1960.8(b):  On, or about, August 4, 5 and 6, 2015, physical hazards present in the work area where new drainage pipe was being installed had not been isolated in that:  A.  Water continuously entered the work space from an upstream manhole.  The water created a nuisance during the phase of the work before the grout mixture was poured and then created a puddle of water that contained partially dissolved Portland cement during the grout removal phase, which ultimately resulted in several employees suffering from chemical burns.  B.  An earthen wall located on the South side of the excavation was not properly evaluated and shored, if necessary, to eliminate the potential for collapse.  C.  During the grout removal phase, the stability of the existing duct banks had not been evaluated and possibly supported when employees were laying underneath them to jackhammer out cured concrete.

Issued

Nov 5, 2015

Abate by

Dec 24, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1205(e)(3):  The Entry Supervisor did not terminate the entry when a condition that was not allowed under the entry permit arose in or near the permit space:    Jobsite located at the Lower Base Access Road Near Pier 8:  As required by the referenced standard and 29 CFR 1960.8(b):  On, or about, August 4, 2015, the entry permit for the pipe installation project was not canceled when it was discovered that the grout mixture had leaked through the squash pipe connections and the scope of the work in the space changed from the installation of new pipe to the removal of the freshly poured grout.  The type of work to be performed changed and the duration of the work extended beyond the authorized duration of the permit.

Issued

Nov 5, 2015

Abate by

Feb 26, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1206(h):  The entry permit that documented compliance with this section and authorizes entry to a permit space did not identify the hazards of the permit space to be entered:      Jobsite located at the Lower Base Access Road Near Pier 8:  As required by the referenced standard and 29 CFR 1960.8(b):  On, or about, August 4, 5 and 6, 2015, the entry permit for the confined space entry did not list all the hazards for the space to be entered, in that:    A.  Water infiltration, either from the upstream manhole or from seeping tidal water.  B.  The earthen wall located at the South side of the excavation.  C.  The stability of existing duct banks while subjected to shock and vibration from the use of jackhammers.

Issued

Nov 5, 2015

Abate by

Feb 26, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1206(i):  The entry permit that documented compliance with this section and authorized entry to a permit space did not identify the measures used to isolate the permit space and to eliminate or control permit space hazards before entry:      Jobsite located at the Lower Base Access Road Near Pier 8:  As required by the referenced standard and 29 CFR 1960.8(b):  On, or about, August 4, 5 and 6, 2015, the entry permit for the confined space entry did not include the measures used to isolate or control confined space hazards such as the use of a balloon in the quay wall pipe to prevent tidal water from entering the space.