OSHA Inspection: LABORATORY TOPS, INC.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $9,054 · Current $9,054

Hazardous substances 81108111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(g)(8)(ii)(B): When standard threshold shifts occurred, the employer did not ensure that employees already using hearing protectors were refitted and retrained in the use of hearing protectors and/or provided with hearing protectors offering greater attenuation if necessary.  On or about 13 October 2016, employees working in the fabrication, and casting departments of the plant who had experienced standard threshold shifts were not refitted and retrained on the correct way to wear hearing protection, such as foam hearing plugs, exposing employees to the hazard of excessive noise.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 81108111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(g)(8)(ii)(C): The employer did not refer the employee for a clinical audiological evaluation or an otological examination, as appropriate, when additional testing was necessary.  On or about 13 October 2016, employees who had experienced a standard threshold shift in one and/or both ears did not receive additional testing, exposing employees to the hazard of excessive noise.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $5,432 · Current $2,397 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(a): Protective equipment, including personal protective equipment for eyes, face, head, and extremities, protective clothing, respiratory devices, and protective shields and barriers, were not used or maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition wherever it was necessary by reason of hazards of processes or environment, chemical hazards, radiological hazards, or mechanical irritants encountered in a manner that caused injury or impairment in the function of any part of the body through absorption, inhalation or physical contact.    On or about 13 October 2016, in the casting department of the facility, employees that were conducting mixing, pouring and stripping activities were not provided with effective personal protective equipment when exposed to chemicals such as but not limited to phthalic anhydride, and Epoxy Curing Agent (ECA), exposing them to dermal hazards.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 13, 2017

Penalty

Initial $12,675 · Current $12,675

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(a)(2): A respirator was not provided by the employer to each employee when such equipment was necessary to protect the health of the employee:     On or about 11 January 2017, for employees hand sanding and gluing in the fabrication department, effective protective measures were not enforced concerning respirable silica dust.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $9,054 · Current $9,054

Hazardous substances 2110

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3)(iii)(B)(2): Where there was no ESLI appropriate for conditions in the employer's workplace, the employer did not implement a change schedule for canisters and cartridges that was based on objective information or data that will ensure that canisters and cartridges are changed before the end of their service life. The employer did not describe in the respirator program the information and data relied upon for the basis for the canister and cartridge change schedule and the basis for reliance on the data:    On or about 13 October 2016, where employees in the casting department were using full face respirators for their respiratory protection when conducting mixing and pouring operations, the employer did not implement an effective cartridge change schedule, exposing employees to respiratory hazards.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $12,675 · Current $12,675

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(2): The employer did not ensure that all employees using tight-fitting facepiece respirator were fit tested prior to initial use of the respirator, and/or whenever a different respirator facepiece (size, style, model or make) was used, and at least annually thereafter.  On or about 13 October 2016, employees were provided half face, tight-fitting respirators to perform sanding and sawing operations in the fabrication department without the employer fit testing prior to them working, exposing employees to an inhalation hazard.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(m)(2)(i): The employer did not establish a record of the qualitative and quantitative fit tests administered to an employee.  On or about 13 October 2016, the employer did not effectively maintain fit test records of employees wearing respirators while working in the casting, maintenance and fabrication departments of the facility.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $12,675 · Current $12,675

Hazardous substances 191121109010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(g)(1)(i)(A): The employer did not ensure that Facial hair that comes between the sealing surface of the facepiece and the face or that interferes with valve function was shaved.    On or about 13 October 2016, where employees in the casting department and fabrication department were using respirators when conducting mixing, pouring and stripping activities, the employer did not effectively enforce the absence of facial hair, exposing employees to respiratory hazards.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 19112110

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(g)(1)(ii): The employer did not ensure that employees wearing corrective glasses, goggles or other personal protective equipment, does not interfere with the seal of the facepiece to the face of the user.  On or about 13 October 2016, employees in the casting department conducting mixing, pouring and stripping activities were wearing balaclavas/ski masks beneath their respirators preventing a proper seal, and exposing employees to an inhalation hazard.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $9,054 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(1)(vi): The employer did not train employees to recognize medical signs and symptoms that may limit or prevent the effective use of respirators.    On or about 13 October 2016, employees in the casting department conducting mixing, pouring and stripping activities were not aware that signs of respiratory illnesses such as but not limited to, coughing, running nose and painful breathing can limit or prevent the effective use of respirators.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $7,243 · Current $7,243

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.138(a): The employer did not require employees to use appropriate hand protection when employees' hands are exposed to hazards such as those from skin absorption of harmful substances; severe cuts or lacerations; severe abrasions; punctures; chemical burns; thermal burns; and harmful temperature extremes:  On or about 13 October 2016, the employer did not effectively ensure and enforce the use of appropriate hand protection for employees using hazardous chemicals such as paint thinner and cold patch in the fabrication department, exposing employees to dermal hazards.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $12,675 · Current $12,675

Hazardous substances 21109010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(e): Feasible administrative or engineering controls are were not determined and implemented to achieve compliance with the limits prescribed in 29 CFR 1910.1000(a) through (d):    On or about January 11, 2017, an employee working in the hand sanding areas of the fabrication department was exposed to respirable silica dust.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $5,432 · Current $5,432

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1020(g)(1)(i): The employer did not inform current employees about the existence, location, and availability of any records covered by this section:   On or about 13 October 2016, in the production area, the employer did not accurately and effectively provide the results of exposure monitoring to employees who had participated in the annual exposure monitoring assessment.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1020(g)(1)(ii): The employer did not inform current employees about the person responsible for maintaining and providing access to records:  On or about 13 October 2016, where employees working in the fabrication and casting departments had participated in exposure monitoring and received annual audiograms, the employer did not inform employees who would provide them with those records.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1020(g)(1)(iii): The employer did not inform current employees about each employee's rights of access to these records  On or about 13 October 2016, employees working in the fabrication and casting departments were not informed that they were entitled to review and have copies of their medical and exposure monitoring records.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1020(g)(2): The employer did not have a copy of this section and its appendice:    On or about 13 October 2016, the employer did not have a copy of this standard, and/or this section and appendice in the company's Occupational Safety and Health Program.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $7,243

Hazardous substances 19112110

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(2)(i): The methods the employer will use to provide the other employer(s) on-site access to safety data sheets for each hazardous chemical the other employer(s)' employees may be exposed to while working:    On or about 13 October 2016, contract employees conducting repairs and renovations of the mixing systems in the casting department were not provided with information regarding the hazardous chemicals they may be exposed while working on the property, exposing them to respiratory and dermal hazards.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(2)(iii): The employer's hazard communication program did not include methods the employer will use to inform the other employer(s) of the labeling system used in the workplace.  On or about 13 October 2016, contract employees conducting repairs and renovations of the mixing systems in the casting department were not provided with information regarding the labels used on chemicals they may encounter while working at the plant.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $7,243 · Current $7,243

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6): Workplace labeling. The employer did not ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace was labeled, tagged or marked as required:  a) On or about 13 October 2016, sand hoppers and tanks containing resin and ECA were not properly and effectively labeled as to identify the contents of the container, exposing employees to hazards such as, but not limited to inhalation and dermal contact.  b) On or about 13 October 2016, employees working in the packing area of the fabrication and casting departments were using portable containers that were not labeled to transfer chemicals such as but not limited to pigment, glue and paint thinner for use by other employees working in the area, exposing employees to hazards such as, but not limited to inhalation, dermal contact.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $10,864

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(3)(iv): The employee training did not include the details of the hazardous communication program developed by the employer, including an explanation of labels received on shipped containers and the work place labeling system used by their employer, and the safety data sheet, including the order of information and how the employees can obtain and use the appropriate hazard information:    On or about 13 October 2016, the employer did not train employees in the casting and fabrication departments on the new labeling system and the new safety data format that was adopted by the Hazard Communication Standard of 2012.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $126,749 · Current $12,675 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(c): An employee's exposure to any substance listed in Table Z-3, in any 8-hour work shift of a 40 hour work week, shall not exceed the 8-hour time weighted average limit given for that substance in the table:    On or about January 11, 2017, employees working in the hand sanding areas were exposed to silica dust.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $1,811 · Current $1,811

Hazardous substances 8110

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1904.10(a): Basic requirement. When the employee's hearing test (audiogram) revealed that the employee(s) had experienced a work-related Standard Threshold Shift (STS) in hearing in one or both ears, and the employee's total hearing level was 25 decibels (dB) or more above audiometric zero (averaged at 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz) in the same ear(s) as the STS, the employer did not record the case on the OSHA 300 Log:  On or about 13 October 2016, the employer did not record the employee's occupational hearing loss cases that qualified as OSHA recordable standard threshold shifts into the 300 logs.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 81108111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(g)(8)(i): The employer did not inform the employee in writing within 21 days of the determination that a comparison of the annual audiogram to the baseline audiogram indicated a standard threshold shift, as defined in 29 CFR 1910.95(g)(10) had occurred.  On or about 13 October 2016, employees who had experienced a standard threshold shift in one and/or both ears were not informed in writing.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 81108111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(e): The employer did not notify each employee exposed at or above an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels of the results of the monitoring.  On or about 13 October 2016, the employer did not inform fabrication, warehouse and casting department employees that had been sampled for noise exposure that their results were above the Action Level.

Issued

Apr 12, 2017

Abate by

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $500 · Current $500

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(2)(i): Where voluntary respirator use was permissible, the employer did not provide the respirator users with the information contained in Appendix D.  On or about 13 October 2016, employees voluntarily using respirators while working in different areas of the facility such as, welders and packers in the fabrication department, were not provided with appendix D of the standard, exposing employees to an inhalation hazard.