OSHA Inspection: MONDIAL TILE CORP.

Issued

Oct 24, 2016

Abate by

Nov 10, 2016

Penalty

Initial $3,563 · Current $1,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.37(a)(3): Exit route(s) were not kept free and unobstructed:    (a) On or about 07/26/2016 at Mondial Tile Corp., fabricators were exposed to fire hazards because the employer failed to keep emergency exits unobstructed. A pallet of materials completely obstructed the exit from the fabrication area to the street.

Issued

Oct 24, 2016

Abate by

Nov 10, 2016

Penalty

Initial $3,563 · Current $3,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(c)(1): The employer did not administer a continuing, effective hearing conservation program as described in 29 CFR 1910.95(c) through (o), whenever employee noise exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (TWA) of 85 decibels measured on the A scale (slow response) or, equivalently, a dose of fifty percent:    (a) On or about 07/26/2016 at Mondial Tile Corp., fabricators were exposed to noise hazards because the employer failed to implement an effective and continuing hearing conservation program. The following are instances where the time-weighted average exceeded 85 dBA:        (1) A fabricator was exposed to 109.4% of the dose, which is equivalent to 90.6 dBA during a period of 320 minutes.      Zero exposure was assumed for 160 minutes.

Issued

Oct 24, 2016

Abate by

Dec 27, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 8111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(i)(3): Employees were not given the opportunity to select their hearing protectors from a variety of suitable hearing protectors provided by the employer:    (a) On or about 07/26/2016 at Mondial Tile Corp., fabricators were exposed to noise hazards. Employees were not given the opportunity to select their hearing protectors from a variety of suitable hearing protectors provided by the employer. The following are instances where the time-weighted average exceeded 85 dBA:        (1) A fabricator was exposed to 109.4% of the dose, which is equivalent to 90.6 dBA during a period of 320 minutes.      Zero exposure was assumed for 160 minutes.

Issued

Oct 24, 2016

Abate by

Dec 27, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 8111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(i)(4): The employer did not provide training in the use and care of all hearing protectors provided to employees:    (a) On or about 07/26/2016 at Mondial Tile Corp., fabricators were exposed to noise hazards because the employer did not provide training in the use and care of all hearing protectors provided to employees. The following are instances where the time-weighted average exceeded 85 dBA:         (1) A fabricator was exposed to 109.4% of the dose, which is equivalent to 90.6 dBA during a period of 320 minutes.      Zero exposure was assumed for 160 minutes.

Issued

Oct 24, 2016

Abate by

Nov 10, 2016

Penalty

Initial $3,563 · Current $2,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(c): An employee(s) was exposed to respirable crystalline silica (quartz) in excess of the 8-hour time weighted average limits of (10 mg/M^3)/(% SiO2+2) listed in Table Z-3:    a). On or about 07/26/2016 at Mondial Tile Corp., fabricators were exposed to respiratory hazards because the employer allowed employees to be exposed to respirable crystalline silica (quartz) in excess of the 8-hour time weighted average limit listed in Table Z-3. The following are instances where overexposures occurred:        (1) A fabricator was exposed to a time weighted average (TWA) of 0.9815 milligrams per cubic meter of respirable crystalline silica (quartz), where the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for the mixture was equivalent to 0.1590 milligrams per cubic meter. Sampling was performed for 314 minutes, and zero exposure was assumed for 166 minutes, resulting in a 480-minute TWA.

Issued

Oct 24, 2016

Abate by

Nov 10, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9010

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). On or about 07/26/2016 at Mondial Tile Corp., fabricators were exposed to respiratory hazards because the employer failed to implement a written respiratory protection plan where respirator use was required in the workplace. The following are instances of overexposure:      (1) A fabricator was exposed to a time weighted average (TWA) of 0.9815 milligrams per cubic meter of respirable crystalline silica (quartz), where the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for the mixture was equivalent to 0.1590 milligrams per cubic meter. Sampling was performed for 314 minutes, and zero exposure was assumed for 166 minutes, resulting in a 480-minute TWA.

Issued

Oct 24, 2016

Abate by

Dec 27, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9010

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). On or about 07/26/2016 at Mondial Tile Corp., fabricators were exposed to respiratory hazards because the employer failed to ensure that employees were medically evaluated prior to using a respirator in the workplace. The following are instances of overexposure:        (1) A fabricator was exposed to a time weighted average (TWA) of 0.9815 milligrams per cubic meter of respirable crystalline silica (quartz), where the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for the mixture was equivalent to 0.1590 milligrams per cubic meter. Sampling was performed for 314 minutes, and zero exposure was assumed for 166 minutes, resulting in a 480-minute TWA.

Issued

Oct 24, 2016

Abate by

Dec 27, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9010

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):    a). On or about 07/26/2016 at Mondial Tile Corp., fabricators were exposed to respiratory hazards because the employer failed to ensure that employees were fit tested prior to using a respirator in the workplace. The following are instances where overexposures occurred:        (1) A fabricator was exposed to a time weighted average (TWA) of 0.9815 milligrams per cubic meter of respirable crystalline silica (quartz), where the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for the mixture was equivalent to 0.1590 milligrams per cubic meter. Sampling was performed for 314 minutes, and zero exposure was assumed for 166 minutes, resulting in a 480-minute TWA.

Issued

Oct 24, 2016

Abate by

Nov 10, 2016

Penalty

Initial $3,563 · Current $2,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): The employer did not develop, implement, and/or maintain at the workplace a written hazard communication program which describes how the criteria specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) will be met:    a). On or about 07/26/2016 at Mondial Tile Corp., fabricators were exposed to respiratory and chemical hazards because the employer allowed employees to be exposed to respirable crystalline silica (quartz) and had not implemented a written hazard communication program.

Issued

Oct 24, 2016

Abate by

Dec 27, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(1): Employers did not have a safety data sheet in the workplace for each hazardous chemical which they use    a). On or about 07/26/2016 at Mondial Tile Corp., fabricators were exposed to respiratory and chemical hazards because the employer allowed employees to be exposed to respirable crystalline silica (quartz) during Ceasarstone fabrication and did not have a safety data sheet for the product in the workplace. Ceasarstone is composed of approximately 85% crystalline silica, which is an IARC carcinogen.

Issued

Oct 24, 2016

Abate by

Nov 10, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(3)(ii): Employee training did not include the physical and health hazards of the chemicals in the work area:  a). On or about 07/26/2016 at Mondial Tile Corp., fabricators were exposed to respiratory and chemical hazards because the employer allowed employees to be exposed to respirable crystalline silica (quartz) during Ceasarstone fabrication and did not educate employees on the health hazards of the chemicals in the workplace. Ceasarstone is composed of approximately 85% crystalline silica, which is an IARC carcinogen.