OSHA Inspection: MECHANOVENT CORPORATION DBA THE NEW YORK BLOWER COMPANY

Issued

Jun 8, 2017

Abate by

Jul 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $9,054 · Current $5,885 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1): A written respiratory protection program that included the provisions in 29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1)(i) - (ix) with worksite specific procedures was not established and implemented for required respirator use:    When respirators were required for welding on stainless steel, a written respiratory protection program was not established that included the following worksite specific procedures:    i. Procedures for selecting respirators for use in the workplace;  ii. Medical Evaluations for those employees required to wear respirators;  iii. Procedures for proper use of respirators in routine and reasonable foreseeable emergency situations;  iv. Procedures and schedules for cleaning, disinfecting, repairing, discarding and otherwise maintaining respirators;  v. Procedures and schedules for changing cartridges and the method/means used to determine this schedule;  vi. Training employees in the respiratory hazards to which they are potentially exposed during routine and emergency situations;  vii. Training employees in the proper use of respirators;  viii. Procedures for regularly evaluating the effectiveness of the respiratory protection program.

Issued

Jun 8, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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 welder working in F5 Weld was provided with and required to wear a half-mask, elastomeric respirator, and the employer did not provide a medical evaluation prior to use.

Issued

Jun 8, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(2): Employee(s) using tight-fitting facepiece respirators were not fit tested prior to initial use of the respirator:  A welder in F5 weld that was required to use a tight-fitting, elastomeric respirator was not fit tested prior to initial use of the respirator.

Issued

Jun 8, 2017

Penalty

Initial $9,054 · Current $2,264 Reduced

Hazardous substances 06890691

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(d)(2)(iii): The employer used the scheduled monitoring option, and monitoring revealed employee exposures to chromium (VI) to be at or above the action level; however, the employer did not perform periodic monitoring at least every six months:    In F5 weld and F7 weld, employees performing stainless steel welding were exposed to airborne levels of hexavalent chromium above the action level and the employer did not perform periodic monitoring at least every six months. The employer conducted monitoring on April 15, 2015, indicating employees exposed to hexavalent chromium at 4.9 micrograms per cubic meter. The employer did not conduct periodic monitoring until December 20, 2016, which indicated employees exposed to hexavalent chromium at 3.2 micrograms per cubic meter.