OSHA Inspection: ERIE BRONZE & ALUMINUM COMPANY

Issued

Feb 23, 2017

Penalty

Initial $3,078 · Current $2,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to struck by hazards associated with storage racks with damaged and disengaged structural components:      a.)    Erie Bronze & Aluminum Company, 6300 West Ridge Rd., Erie, PA, On or about November 9th, 2016, and times prior thereto, damaged rack components on the cleaning room storage rack included, two disengaged endplates on one load bearing beam, a twisted/damaged footplate, and structural column damage.  The racking system was utilized to store metal storage rack bins.

Issued

Feb 23, 2017

Abate by

Jul 11, 2017

Penalty

Initial $3,694 · Current $1,565 Reduced

Hazardous substances 07312610

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(a)(2): Employee(s) were exposed to an airborne concentration of copper fumes, and zinc oxide fumes listed in Table Z-1 in excess of the 8 hour Time Weighted Average concentration of 0.1 mg/m3(copper fumes) and 5.0 mg/m3 (Zinc Oxide Fumes):           a.)  Erie Bronze & Aluminum Company, 6300 West Ridge Rd., Erie, PA, On or about January 9th, 2017, and times prior thereto:  A melting operator performing work operations including, but not limited to, loading metal pieces into the furnaces at the bronze furnace area was exposed to copper fumes at a 8 hour Time-Weighted Average level of approximately 0.35 mg/m³, which is approximately 3.5 times the Permissible Exposure Limit of 0.1 mg/ m³ for copper fumes.  The exposure level is derived from a sample collected over 446-minute period; the calculations include a zero value for the 34 minutes not sampled.           b.)  Erie Bronze & Aluminum Company, 6300 West Ridge Rd., Erie, PA, On or about January 9th, 2017, and times prior thereto:  A melting operator performing work operations including, but not limited to, loading metal pieces into the furnaces at the bronze furnace area was exposed to zinc oxide fumes at a 8 hour Time-Weighted Average level of approximately 6.32 mg/m³, which is approximately 1.3 times the Permissible Exposure Limit of 5 mg/ m³ for zinc oxide fumes.  The exposure level is derived from a sample collected over 446-minute period; the calculations include a zero value for the 34 minutes not sampled.

Issued

Feb 23, 2017

Abate by

Jul 11, 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.)    Erie Bronze & Aluminum Company, 6300 West Ridge Rd., Erie, PA, On or about January 9th, 2017, and times prior thereto:  A melting operator performing work operations including, but not limited to, loading metal pieces into the furnaces at the bronze furnace area was exposed to copper fumes at a 8 hour Time-Weighted Average level of approximately 0.35 mg/m³, which is approximately 3.5 times the Permissible Exposure Limit of 0.1 mg/ m³ for copper fumes.  The exposure level is derived from a sample collected over 446-minute period; the calculations include a zero value for the 34 minutes not sampled. The employer did not determine and implement feasible administrative and engineering controls to achieve compliance with the limits prescribed in 29 CFR 1910.1000(a) through (d).              b.)    Erie Bronze & Aluminum Company, 6300 West Ridge Rd., Erie, PA, On or about January 9th, 2017, and times prior thereto:  A melting operator performing work operations including, but not limited to, loading metal pieces into the furnaces at the bronze furnace area was exposed to zinc oxide fumes at a 8 hour Time-Weighted Average level of approximately 6.32 mg/m³, which is approximately 1.3 times the Permissible Exposure Limit of 5 mg/m³ for zinc oxide fumes.  The exposure level is derived from a sample collected over 446-minute period; the calculations include a zero value for the 34 minutes not sampled.  The employer did not determine and implement feasible administrative and engineering controls to achieve compliance with the limits prescribed in 29 CFR 1910.1000(a) through (d).

Issued

Feb 23, 2017

Abate by

Jul 11, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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:       a.)    Erie Bronze & Aluminum Company, 6300 West Ridge Rd., Erie, PA, On or about January 9th, 2017, and times prior thereto:  Erie Bronze & Aluminum Company, 6300 West Ridge Rd., Erie, PA, On or about January 9th, 2017, and times prior thereto:  A melting operator performing work operations including, but not limited to, loading metal pieces into the furnaces at the bronze furnace area was exposed to copper fumes at a 8 hour Time-Weighted Average level of approximately 0.35 mg/m³, which is approximately 3.5 times the Permissible Exposure Limit of 0.1 mg/ m³ for copper fumes.  The exposure level is derived from a sample collected over 446-minute period; the calculations include a zero value for the 34 minutes not sampled. The employer did not require the melting operator to wear respiratory protection.                   b.)    Erie Bronze & Aluminum Company, 6300 West Ridge Rd., Erie, PA, On or about January 9th, 2017, and times prior thereto:  A melting operator performing work operations including, but not limited to, loading metal pieces into the furnaces at the bronze furnace area was exposed to zinc oxide fumes at a 8 hour Time-Weighted Average level of approximately 6.32 mg/m³, which is approximately 1.3 times the Permissible Exposure Limit of 5 mg/ m³ for zinc oxide fumes.  The exposure level is derived from a sample collected over 446-minute period; the calculations include a zero value for the 34 minutes not sampled.  The employer did not require the melting operator to wear respiratory protection.

Issued

Feb 23, 2017

Abate by

Apr 11, 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.) Erie Bronze & Aluminum Company, 6300 West Ridge Rd., Erie, PA, On or about January 9th, 2017, and times prior thereto:  Erie Bronze & Aluminum Company, 6300 West Ridge Rd., Erie, PA, On or about January 9th, 2017, and times prior thereto:   A melting operator performing work operations including, but not limited to, loading metal pieces into the furnaces at the bronze furnace area was exposed to lead fumes at a 8 hour Time-Weighted Average level of approximately 11 ug/m3(micrograms per meter cubed).  The employee who worked with and around metals containing lead was not provided with training on the contents of Appendices A and B of 29 CFR 1910.1025.

Issued

Feb 23, 2017

Abate by

Apr 11, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances C141

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1027(m)(4)(i): The employer did not institute a training program for all employees who were potentially exposed to cadmium, ensure employee participation in the program, and maintain a record of the contents of such program:    a.) Erie Bronze & Aluminum Company, 6300 West Ridge Rd., Erie, PA, On or about January 9th, 2017, and times prior thereto:  Erie Bronze & Aluminum Company, 6300 West Ridge Rd., Erie, PA, On or about January 9th, 2017, and times prior thereto:   A melting operator performing work operations including, but not limited to, loading metal pieces into the furnaces at the bronze furnace area was exposed to cadmium at a 8 hour Time-Weighted Average level of approximately 0.88 ug/m3(micrograms per meter cubed).  The employer did not institute a cadmium training program for exposed employees.