OSHA Inspection: INDUSTRIAL REFRACTORY CONSULTANTS, INC.

Issued

Feb 1, 2016

Abate by

Mar 1, 2016

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $1,960 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(g)(1)(i)(A): Facial hair that comes between the sealing surface of the facepiece and the face or that interferes with valve function.  a.  On or about  December 4, 2015, employees of Industrial Refractory Consultants, Inc. performing brick removal from an oven had facial hair coming between the sealing surface of the Sperian Survivair full-face respirator and their face.

Issued

Feb 1, 2016

Abate by

Mar 1, 2016

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $1,960 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(c): An employee was exposed to 2.7% Respirable Quartz Crystalline Silica in excess of the calculated 8-hour time weighted average limit of 2.13 mg/m3 as indicated in Table Z-3:  a.  On December 5, 2015, a Laborer removing brick from the inside of an oven was exposed to a calculated 8-hour Time Weighted Average (TWA) of 4.4 mg/m3 over a 300 minute time period with zero exposure calculated for the remaining 180 minutes.  A TWA of 4.4 mg/m3 is 1.63 times the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for 2.7% Respirable Silica Dust.

Issued

Feb 1, 2016

Abate by

Mar 1, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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]  a.  The employer did not determine or implement administrative or engineering controls prior to having employees remove brick containing silica from the inside of an oven at the facility located at 300 E. Breed St. Chilton, WI 53014.  Engineering controls include, but are not limited to:      1.  Local exhaust ventilation systems.     2.  Wet methods for cutting, chipping, grinding, etc.     3.  Use of HEPA-equipped vacuums or wet-sweeping for cleaning.     4.  Use of tools with dust collecting systems.