OSHA Inspection: AUSTIN MASTER SERVICES, LLC

Issued

Jun 26, 2017

Abate by

Jul 31, 2017

Penalty

Initial $9,760 · Current $9,760

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1)(i): (1) Unprotected sides and edges.  (i) Except as provided elsewhere in this section, the employer must ensure that each employee on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge that is 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level is protected from falling.      a. Located adjacent to the buildings interior Southeastern wall at the rail loading station area, employees walked on top of open-top railcars full of TENORM waste to cover and enclose the material without the use of fall protection, thereby exposing employees to a fall hazard of approximately nine feet.      b. Located inside the Northwestern bay area, employees walked on top of stored transport roll-off containers to open hatches and obtain samples without the use of fall protection, thereby exposing employees to a fall hazard of approximately five feet.

Issued

Jun 26, 2017

Abate by

Jul 31, 2017

Penalty

Initial $6,972 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.29(b)(1): (1) The top edge height of top rails, or equivalent guardrail system members, are 42 inches (107 cm), plus or minus 3 inches (8 cm), above the walking-working surface.  The top edge height may exceed 45 inches (114 cm), provided the guardrail system meets all other criteria of paragraph (b) of this section (see Figure D-11).    a.  Located at the Northernmost clean water station fracking tank, the elevated platform where employees stood to check water levels, insert, and remove a vacuum hose had a top rail approximately 31 inches above the walking-working, thereby exposing employees to a fall hazard of approximately six feet.

Issued

Jun 26, 2017

Abate by

Jul 31, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.29(b)(2)(i): (i) Midrails are installed at a height midway between the top edge of the guardrail system and the walking-working surface;    a.  Located over the offload pit, the washout station platform where employees stood while operating a pressure washer to spray out the waste containers did not have midrails installed, thereby exposing employees to a hazard of falling into the approximately seven foot deep half-round offload pit.      b.  Located at the JWI filter press, Serial # F05259, the elevated platform that employees stood on to scrape excess solid waste off of the press so that it falls into the container below did not have midrails installed, thereby exposing employees to a fall hazard of approximately four feet eight inches.

Issued

Jun 26, 2017

Abate by

Jul 31, 2017

Penalty

Initial $19,520 · Current $19,520

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.28(b)(6)(i): (i) Each employee less than 4 feet (1.2 m) above dangerous equipment is protected from falling into or onto the dangerous equipment by a guardrail system or a travel restraint system, unless the equipment is covered or guarded to eliminate the hazard.    a. Located at the offload pit area, on the concrete surface where trucks backed up, employees stood next to an unprotected edge of a half-round tank when containers containing oil and gas waste sludge was emptied into the tank and while pumping out the sludge from the tanks, thereby exposing employees to a hazard of falling into the approximately seven foot deep half-round tank filled with sludge.      b. Located over the offload pit, a two foot portion of the front left corner of the washout station platform where employees stood while directing trucks as they reversed towards the pit and opened the tailgate of the waste containers was not equipped with any form of fall protection, thereby exposing employees to a hazard of falling into the approximately seven foot deep half-round offload pit filled with sludge.      c. Located at the JWI filter press, Serial # F05259, employees stood on an elevated platform to scrape excess solid waste off of the press so that it falls into the container below without being protected from falling into the four foot deep container that contained solid waste from oil and gas sludge.       d. Located at the Northernmost clean water station fracking tank, employees stood on an elevated platform to check water levels, insert, and remove a vacuum hose without being protected from falling into the approximately eight foot deep fracking tank.    Austin Master Services, LLC was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 1910.23(c)(3), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1075505, citation number 1, item number 1 and was affirmed as a final order on February 1, 2016, with respect to a workplace located at 801 N. First Street, Martins Ferry, Ohio 43935.

Issued

Jun 26, 2017

Abate by

Jul 31, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.29(b)(2)(iii): (iii) Intermediate vertical members (such as balusters) are installed no more than 19 inches (48 cm) apart; and     a.  Located at the JWI filter press, Serial # F05259, the elevated platform that employees stood on to scrape excess solid waste off of the press so that it falls into the container below had intermediate vertical member that were approximately 22 inches apart, thereby exposing employees to a fall hazard of approximately four feet eight inches.       b.  Located over the offload pit, the washout station platform where employees stood while operating a pressure washer to spray out the waste containers had intermediate vertical member that were approximately 22 inches apart, thereby exposing employees to a hazard of falling into the approximately seven foot deep half-round offload pit.