OSHA Inspection: HERITAGE TILE MARBLE & GRANITE, INC.

Issued

Jul 28, 2016

Abate by

Aug 23, 2016

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $1,680 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:    (a)    Heritage Tile Marble & Granite, Inc. at 2745 Industrial Lane #103A & #101 Broomfield CO 80020:  On or about February 23, 2016  the employer did not ensure a written respiratory protection program was established and implemented when the use of respiratory protection was required due to the exposure levels of contaminants present in the workplace.  This condition exposed employees to respiratory hazards associated with crystalline silica.    Abatement Note: A written respiratory protection program should include at a minimum:        1)    A written program;        2)    Proper selection of respirators;        3)    Medical Evaluation for respirator users;        4)    Fit-testing for respirator users;        5)    Procedures for the proper use of respirators;        6)    Maintenance and care of respirators;        7)    Identification of filters;        8)    Training and information for employees;        9)    Program evaluation; and        10)  Recordkeeping

Issued

Jul 28, 2016

Abate by

Aug 23, 2016

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:   (a)    Heritage Tile Marble & Granite, Inc. at 2745 Industrial Lane #103A & #101 Broomfield CO 80020:  On or about February 23, 2016  the employer did not ensure that a medical evaluation was conducted prior to the use of respiratory protection.  This condition potentially exposed employees to respiratory hazards.

Issued

Jul 28, 2016

Abate by

Aug 23, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(1): The employer did not ensure that employees required to use a tight-fitting facepiece respirator passed the appropriate qualitative fit test (QLFT) or quantitative fit test (QNFT):  (a)    Heritage Tile Marble & Granite, Inc. at 2745 Industrial Lane #103A & #101 Broomfield CO 80020:  On or about February 23, 2016  the employer did not ensure that a qualitative fit-test was conducted prior to the use of respiratory protection.  This condition potentially exposed employees to respiratory hazards associated with crystalline silica.

Issued

Jul 28, 2016

Abate by

Aug 23, 2016

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 face piece and exhalation valve:  (a)    Heritage Tile Marble & Granite, Inc. at 2745 Industrial Lane #103A & #101 Broomfield CO 80020:  On or about February 23, 2016  the employer did not ensure that disposable filtering face piece respirators were stored in a location to protect them from contamination.  This condition potentially exposed employees to respiratory hazards.

Issued

Jul 28, 2016

Abate by

Jan 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(c): Employees were exposed to crystalline silica, listed in Table Z-3, in excess of the Permissible Exposure Limit::   (a)    Heritage Tile Marble & Granite, Inc. at 2745 Industrial Lane #103A & #101 Broomfield CO 80020:  On or about February 23, 2016 the employer did not ensure employees performing stone cutting, grinding and polishing operations were protected from overexposures to crystalline silica.  An employee working in the fabrication area was exposed to a Time Weighted Average (TWA) for crystalline silica of 0.91 mg/m3 which is in excess (approximately 3.9 times) of the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 0.232 mg/m3.  This condition exposed employees to serious respiratory hazards such as silicosis.

Issued

Jul 28, 2016

Abate by

Jan 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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)    Heritage Tile Marble & Granite, Inc. at 2745 Industrial Lane #103A & #101 Broomfield CO 80020:  On or about February 23, 2016  the employer did not ensure feasible administrative or engineering controls were determined and implemented to achieve compliance with the limits prescribed in 29 CFR 1910.1000(a) through (d).  Employees performing stone cutting, grinding and polishing operations were not protected from overexposures to crystalline silica.  An employee working in the fabrication area was exposed to a Time Weighted Average (TWA) for crystalline silica of 0.91 mg/m3 which is in excess (approximately 3.9 times) of the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 0.232 mg/m3.  This condition exposed employees to serious respiratory hazards such as silicosis.    Abatement Note: Feasible engineering controls include, but are not limited to:          1)    The use of local exhaust ventilation.      2)    The implementation of wet methods to reduce/eliminate the generation of dust.  Step 1:    Effective respiratory protection shall be provided and used by exposed employees as an interim protective measure until feasible engineering and/or administrative controls can be implemented or whenever such controls fail to reduce employee exposure to within exposure limits.          Step 1 Abatement Date (15 Days):   Step 2:     Submit to the Area Director a written detailed plan of abatement outlining a schedule for the implementation of engineering and/or administrative measures to control employee exposures to the hazardous substance referenced in this citation.  The plan shall include, at a minimum, target dates for the following actions which should be consistent with the dates required by this citation:                  a) Evaluation of the extent and location of the hazard source;         b) Evaluation of control measure options;          c) Selection of optimum control measures;         d) Determination of control measure design;         e) Ordering and delivery of equipment;         f) Installation of control measures;         g) Training of employees in proper operation and maintenance of newly implemented control measures; and          h) Assurance of the effective performance of control methods.          All proposed control measures shall be evaluated for each particular use by a competent Industrial Hygienist or other technically qualified person.  Thirty (30) days progress reports are required during the abatement period.  The progress report must identify the action taken to achieve abatement and the date the action was taken.          Step 2 Abatement Date (60 Days):   Step 3:    Abatement will be completed by the implementation of feasible engineering and/or administrative controls and upon verification of their effectiveness in achieving compliance.          Step 3 Abatement Date (90 Days):

Issued

Jul 28, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(a)(1): All places of employment, passageways, storerooms or service rooms were not kept clean and orderly or in a sanitary condition.  (a)    Heritage Tile Marble & Granite, Inc. at 2745 Industrial Lane #103A & #101 Broomfield CO 80020:  On or about February 23, 2016 the entry way to the granite workshop is being used as a storage area.  Metal shelves were stacked with miscellaneous items such as rags, chemicals, equipment, and supplies.   Everything was coated in a thin layer of silica dust from granite operations.  This condition potentially exposed employees to further exposure to silica dust.

Issued

Jul 28, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(a)(3): To facilitate cleaning, every floor, working place, and passageway shall be kept free from protruding nails, splinters, holes, or loose boards.  (a)    Heritage Tile Marble & Granite, Inc. at 2745 Industrial Lane #103A & #101 Broomfield CO 80020:  On or about February 23, 2016 the employer had placed a wooden ladder on floor to be used as a grate for employees to walk on. This condition exposed employees to a trip hazard in that the ladder was not designed to be a walking-working surface.

Issued

Jul 28, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.184(c)(6): Slings were not securely attached to their loads:  a)    Heritage Tile Marble & Granite, Inc. at 2745 Industrial Lane #103A & #101 Broomfield CO 80020:  On or about February 23, 2016 the Gantry crane used to move granite slabs had a broken latch on its sling hook. This condition exposed employees to crushed-by hazards from an unsecured load.