OSHA Inspection: KOLMAR LABORATORIES INC.

Issued

2017-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2017-03-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $12675.00 · Current $7605.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(c)(1): Open-sided floors and/or platforms four feet or more above adjacent floor or ground level were not guarded with standard railings (or equivalent) and toeboards:Note:  Toeboards are only required when persons can pass, there is moving equipment or there is equipment with which falling materials could create a hazard.    a). On or about 10/4/16, in the V blender room, for the Kolmar employee working from a platform 8'4" from the ground. During the batch making process, the employee removes bulk and liquid material from a pallet on raised forks of a forklift truck. Prior to the task, the employee removes the railing for the pallet on the forklift truck to be placed on the platform. The employee goes through the 4-5 hour mixing process on a daily basis in this condition. The employer did not provide a guard or fall protection to protect the employee from a 8'4" fall to the ground.

Issued

2017-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2017-03-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $12675.00 · Current $7605.00 Reduced

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 9/13/16, in the V Blender Room, for the employee that is required to don a Sperian N95 when working with powder products. The employer did not provide a medical evaluation for the employee to don a Sperian N95.     b). On or about 9/13/16, in the water treatment room, for the employee that is required to don a full face North 5400 respirator when adding muriatic acid to the tanks, approximately on a monthly basis. The employer did not provide a medical evaluation for the employee to don a full face North 5400 respirator.     c). On or about 10/4/16, in the pre-weighting area, for a One Source employee that is required, by Kolmar, to don a Sperian N95 when weighting certain powders that contains allergens.  Kolmar did not provide a medical evaluation for the employee required to don a Sperian N95.

Issued

2017-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2017-03-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $9054.00 · Current $5432.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.151(c): Where employees were exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body were not provided within the work area for immediate emergency use:    a). On or about 9/13/16, on site in the water treatment room, for the Kolmar employee that adds Muriatic Acid, a corrosive acid, to the water tanks to adjust the pH of the water. The employee hand pours 1 gallon of the Muriatic Acid to a 3,000 gallon tank of water. An eye wash station/shower was not in the vicinity of the water treatment room.

Issued

2017-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2017-03-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $5432.00 · Current $3259.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(m)(5)(i): When a powered industrial truck is left unattended, load engaging means were not fully lowered, controls were not neutralized, power was not shut off, and brakes set.    a). On or about 10/4/16, in the V blender room, for the Kolmar employee working from a platform 8'4" from the ground. During the batch making process, the employee removes bulk and liquid material from a pallet on raised forks of a forklift truck. The material is removed and placed into the mixer in various time phases. The employee goes through the 4-5 hour mixing process on a daily basis with the load engaging means not fully lowered and the forklift unattended for a period of time during the process.

Issued

2017-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2017-03-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(a)(2): Other substances -- 8-hour Time Weighted Averages. An employee's exposure to any substance in Table Z-1, the exposure limit of which is not preceded by a "C", exceeded the 8-hour Time Weighted Average given for that substance any 8-hour work shift of a 40-hour work week:  a). On or about 10/4/16, on site in the V-Blender Room, an employee was exposed to total dust at a Time-Weighted Average level of 28 mg/m³, which is approximately 1.8 times the Permissible Exposure Limit for total dust of 15 mg/m³. The exposure level is derived from one sample collected over an 81-minute period; the calculations include a zero value for the 399 minutes not sampled.

Issued

2017-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2017-03-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

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 10/4/16, on site in the V-Blender Room, an employee was exposed to total dust at a Time-Weighted Average level of 28 mg/m³, which is approximately 1.8 times the Permissible Exposure Limit for total dust of 15 mg/m³. The exposure level is derived from one sample collected over an 81-minute period; the calculations include a zero value for the 399 minutes not sampled.