OSHA Inspection: HILL AIR FORCE BASE

Issued

Aug 17, 2017

Abate by

Dec 21, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1027(e)(4):  The employer did not ensure that each employee entering a regulated area was supplied with and required to use a respirator, selected in accordance with paragraph (g)(2) of this section:  (a)  Hill Air Force Base, dba Ogden Air Logistics Complex, at Building 507, Hill Air Force Base, UT: On and preceding 6/15/17, the employer did not ensure that each employee entering a regulated area was supplied with and required to use a respirator, selected in accordance with paragraph (g)(2) of this section.  Employees abrasively blasted aircraft parts coated with cadmium in an abrasive blasting booth.  Employees alternated activities as the abrasive blaster or the assistant.  Employer personal air sampling determined that the 8 hour TWA exposure to cadmium for the employees during their joint duties as abrasive blaster and assistant exceeded the OSHA PEL for cadmium.  The abrasive blasting booth was a regulated area.  Workers during their tour as assistant entered the abrasive blasting booth to remove and emplace aircraft parts for the abrasive blaster, following abrasive blasting of aircraft parts.  The workers when acting as assistant did not wear respiratory protection when inside the abrasive blasting booth, while the abrasive blaster continued to wear a supplied air respirator.  The workers when acting as assistant did not wear respiratory protection when in the regulated area.  Personal air sampling conducted on 6/15/17 found cadmium present on the sample collected during one employee's rotation as the assistant.  This condition exposed employees to a cadmium hazard.

Issued

Aug 17, 2017

Abate by

Dec 20, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1027(f)(1)(i): The employer did not implement engineering and work practice controls to reduce and maintain employee exposure to cadmium at or below the PEL:  (a)  Hill Air Force Base, dba Ogden Air Logistics Complex, at Building 507, Hill Air Force Base, UT: On 6/15/17, the employer did not implement engineering and work practice controls to reduce and maintain employee exposure to cadmium at or below the PEL.  One employee abrasively blasted aircraft parts and provided assistance to an abrasive blaster when his task was completed in Building 507.  This abrasive blasting generated cadmium dust.  On 6/15/17 the employee was exposed to cadmium at a concentration greater than the 8 hour Time Weighted Average (TWA) Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 0.005 mg/m3.  The employee was exposed to cadmium at a concentration of 0.244 mg/m3 as an 8 hour TWA.  This is 48.8 times the PEL.  Air monitoring was conducted for 331 minutes.  (b)  Hill Air Force Base, dba Ogden Air Logistics Complex, at Building 507, Hill Air Force Base, UT: On 6/15/17, the employer did not implement engineering and work practice controls to reduce and maintain employee exposure to cadmium at or below the PEL.  One employee abrasively blasted aircraft parts and provided assistance to an abrasive blaster when his task was completed in Building 507.  The abrasive blasting generated cadmium dust.  On 6/15/17 the employee was exposed to cadmium at a concentration greater than the 8 hour Time Weighted Average (TWA) Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 0.005 mg/m3.  The employee was exposed to cadmium at a concentration of 0.205 mg/m3 as an 8 hour TWA.  This is 41.0 times the PEL.  Air monitoring was conducted for 353 minutes.  Hill Air Force Base was previously cited for a violation of this Occupational Safety and Health Administration Standard or its equivalent standard, 29 CFR 1910.1027(f)(1)(i), which was contained in OSHA inspection 988955, Citation 1, Item 2b, and was issued on April 9, 2015, and affirmed as a final order on May 11, 2015, with respect to a workplace located at Building 507, Hill Air Force Base, UT.  Abatement Note:  Feasible engineering controls include, but are not limited to:  1.  Installation of local exhaust ventilation at the point of generation of the particulate. 2.  Evaluate large manual blasting booth.  Modify booth if insufficient capture velocity to entrain particulate. 3.  Implement laser removal process. 4.  Replace current abrasive blasting booth.  Abatement Note:  Abatement of this item will normally be multi-step as follows:    1.  Effective respiratory protection shall be provided and used by exposed employees as an interim protective measure until feasible engineering and/or administrative controls can be implemented or whenever such controls fail to reduce employee exposure to within exposure limits.    STEP 1 ABATEMENT DATE (15 DAYS): Abatement Completed    2.  Submit to the Area Director a written detailed plan of abatement outlining a schedule for the implementation of engineering and /or administrative measures to control employee exposures to the hazardous substance referenced in this citation.  The plan shall include, at a minimum, target dates for the following actions which should be consistent with the dates required by this citation:  a.  Evaluation of the extent and location of the hazard source; b.  Evaluation of control measure options; c.  Selection of optimum control measures; d.  Determination of control measure design; e.  Ordering and delivery of equipment; f.  Installation of control measures; g.  Training of employees in proper operation and maintenance of newly implemented control measures; and h.  Assurance of the effective performance of control measures.    All proposed control measures shall be evaluated for each particular use by a competent Industrial Hygienist or other technically qualified person.  Thirty day progress reports are required during the abatement period.  The progress report must identify the action taken to achieve abatement and the date the action was taken.    STEP 2 ABATEMENT DATE (60 DAYS):     3.  Abatement will be completed by the implementation of feasible engineering and/or administrative controls and upon verification of their effectiveness in achieving compliance.    STEP 3 ABATEMENT DATE (180 DAYS):