OSHA Inspection: NORTEX FIELD SERVICES, INC.

Issued

Mar 3, 2017

Abate by

Apr 10, 2017

Penalty

Initial $5,070 · Current $3,800 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0689

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:          On or about October 17, 2016 and at times prior to, employee(s) wearing full face Allegro supplied air respirators  were not medically cleared and exposed to metal fumes, such as but not limited to hexavalent chromium while spray welding Alcro wire.

Issued

Mar 3, 2017

Abate by

Apr 10, 2017

Penalty

Initial $5,070 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances 06850689152016201840

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):          On or about October 17, 2016 and at times prior to, employee(s) were not fit tested prior to wearing full face Allegro supplied air respirators and exposed to metal fumes, such as but not limited to hexavalent chromium while spray welding Alcro wire.

Issued

Mar 3, 2017

Penalty

Initial $3,694 · Current $2,700 Reduced

Hazardous substances B418

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.141(b)(1): At this establishment, the employer had not provided potable drinking water.          a)  Break room/lunch area, on or about October 17, 2016 and at times prior to, the well water supplied to the break room/lunch eating area contained E.Coli and total coliform exposing employees to potential bacterial hazards.        b)  Restrooms, on or about October 17, 2016 and at times prior to, the well water supplied to the restrooms contained E. Coli and total coliform exposing employees to potential bacterial hazards.

Issued

Mar 3, 2017

Abate by

Mar 31, 2017

Penalty

Initial $4,346 · Current $2,608 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(d)(2): An initial determination was not made to determine if any employee may be exposed to lead at or above the action level:        a)  On or about October 26, 2016, employees were exposed to lead which had accumulated on work surfaces and floors and the employer did not conduct an initial exposure determination.

Issued

Mar 3, 2017

Abate by

Mar 31, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(l)(1)(i): Employee(s) working in an area where there is potential exposure to airborne lead at any level were not informed of the content of Appendices A and B of 29 CFR 1910.1025:        a)  On or about October 26, 2016, employees were exposed to lead which had also accumulated on the surface and were not informed or trained on the hazards of lead and measures to take to protect themselves.

Issued

Mar 3, 2017

Abate by

Mar 31, 2017

Penalty

Initial $5,070 · Current $5,070

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(h)(1): All surfaces were not maintained as free as practicable of accumulations of lead:        a)  Main machine Shop, on or about October 26, 2016, the plastic bench/table in the work area where tools and materials were kept including PPE contained lead and was not decontaminated.        b)  Bathroom #1, on or about October 26, 2016 the male floor in the restroom area adjoining the break room/lunch contained lead and was not decontaminated in the eating area.        c)  Bathroom #2, on or about October 26, 2016 the female floor in the restroom area adjoining the break room/lunch contained lead and was not decontaminated in the eating area.        d)  Break room/lunch area, on or about October 26, 2016 the floor in the break room/lunch eating area contained lead and was not decontaminated.        e)  Main Machine Shop, on or about October 26, 2016 the rear metal work bench where machining tools and equipment was staged and used contained lead and was not decontaminated.        f)  Main Machine Shop, on or about October 26, 2016 main shop floor at the garage entry contained an accumulation of lead and was not decontaminated.

Issued

Mar 3, 2017

Abate by

Mar 31, 2017

Penalty

Initial $5,070 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0685

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(j)(1)(i): The employer did not ensure that all surfaces were maintained as free as practicable of accumulations of chromium (VI):        a)  Main machine Shop, on or about October 26, 2016, the plastic bench/table in the work area where tools and materials were kept including PPE contained chromium and was not decontaminated.        b)  Bathroom #1, on or about October 26, 2016 the male floor in the restroom area adjoining the break room/lunch contained chromium and was not decontaminated in the eating area.        c)  Break room/lunch area, on or about October 26, 2016 the floor in the break room/lunch eating area contained chromium and was not decontaminated.        d)  Main Machine Shop, on or about October 26, 2016 the rear metal work bench where machining tools and equipment was staged and used contained chromium and was not decontaminated.        e)  Main Machine Shop, on or about October 26, 2016 main shop floor at the garage entry contained an accumulation of chromium and was not decontaminated.

Issued

Mar 3, 2017

Abate by

Jul 18, 2017

Penalty

Initial $5,070 · Current $3,805 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0689

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(c): Employees were exposed to an airborne concentration of chromium (VI) which exceeded 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air, as an 8-hour time-weighted average:        On or about October 26, 2016, employee(s) were exposed to hexavalent chromium fume while spray welding Alcro wire at an 8-hour TWA of 0.02397 mg/m3, approximately 4.8 times the PEL of 0.0050 mg/m3.  The exposure was derived from one sample collected over a 97 minute period, zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of 383 minutes.

Issued

Mar 3, 2017

Abate by

Jul 18, 2017

Penalty

Initial $5,070 · Current $3,805 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0689

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(d)(2)(iv): The employer used the scheduled monitoring option, and monitoring revealed employee exposures to chromium (VI) to be above the permissible exposure limit; however, the employer did not perform periodic monitoring at least every three months:        On or about October 26, 2016, employee(s) were exposed to hexavalent chromium fume while spray welding Alcro wire at an 8-hour TWA of 0.02397 mg/m3, approximately 4.8 times the PEL of 0.0050 mg/m3.  The exposure was derived from one sample collected over a 97 minute period, zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of 383 minutes.

Issued

Mar 3, 2017

Abate by

Jul 18, 2017

Penalty

Initial $5,070 · Current $2,535 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0689

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(h)(1): A hazard was present or was likely to be present from skin or eye contact with chromium (VI); however, the employer did not provide appropriate personal protective clothing and equipment at no cost to employees, and/or did not ensure that employees used such clothing and equipment:        a)  On or about October 26, 2016, employee(s) were exposed to hexavalent chromium fume while spray welding Alcro wire while wearing disposable FR coveralls.  Although the coveralls were worn, medical samples indicated that chromium was detected on the employee(s) skin and/or body hair.         b) On or about October 26, 2016 employee(s) were exposed to hexavalent chromium fume while spray welding Alcro wire and the disposable booties fell apart during the sampling period.

Issued

Mar 3, 2017

Abate by

Apr 21, 2017

Penalty

Initial $5,070 · Current $2,535 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0689

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(k)(1)(i): The employer did not make medical surveillance for chromium (VI) exposures available at no cost to the employees, and/or at a reasonable time and place:        On or about October 26, 2016, employee(s) were exposed to hexavalent chromium fume while spray welding Alcro wire and the employer did not conduct medical surveillance for all employees.

Issued

Mar 3, 2017

Abate by

Apr 21, 2017

Penalty

Initial $5,070 · Current $2,535 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0689

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(l)(2):  The employer did not ensure that employees could demonstrate knowledge of the contents of this section and the purpose of medical surveillance; and in addition the employer did not make a copy of this section available without cost to all affected employees:        On or about October 26, 2016, employee(s) were exposed to hexavalent chromium fume while spray welding Alcro wire and the employer did not provide training on the health hazards of exposure to hexavalent chromium or the purpose of medical surveillance.