OSHA Inspection: COMMONWEALTH INC.

Issued

Nov 8, 2017

Abate by

Nov 15, 2017

Penalty

Initial $8,873 · Current $4,437 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.133(a)(1): The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to eye or face hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation.    (a) On August 10, 2017, an employee was exposed to a serious eye hazard where the employer did not ensure that the employee was wearing the required safety glasses while transporting a drum of GF Clean 771L  with a pH of 10.5 by forklift.    (b) On August 24, 2017, an employee was exposed to a serious eye hazard where the employer did not ensure that the employee was wearing the required safety glasses while transporting a drum of the corrosive CW 888L by forklift.    (c) On August 24, 2017, an employee was exposed to a serious eye hazard where the employer did not ensure that the employee was wearing the required safety glasses while transporting a drum of Trexada 311 with a pH of 12.4.

Issued

Nov 8, 2017

Abate by

Nov 15, 2017

Penalty

Initial $8,873 · Current $4,437 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.151(c): Where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body shall be provided within the work area for immediate emergency use.  [63 FR 33450, June 18, 1998]    On August 24, 2017, the eye wash and emergency shower was not available for immediate emergency use in that the path of travel to the eye wash and emergency shower station was not kept free from obstructions in that drums were blocking the path.

Issued

Nov 8, 2017

Abate by

Nov 21, 2017

Penalty

Initial $8,873 · Current $4,437 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(1)(ii): Prior to permitting an employee to operate a powered industrial truck (except for training purposes), the employer shall ensure that each operator has successfully completed the training required by this paragraph (l), except as permitted by paragraph (l)(5).    The employer did not ensure that forklift operators had been trained to operate sit down forklifts.

Issued

Nov 8, 2017

Abate by

Nov 21, 2017

Penalty

Initial $8,873 · Current $4,436 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(8): The employer shall maintain in the workplace copies of the required material safety data sheets for each hazardous chemical, and shall ensure that they are readily accessible during each work shift to employees when they are in their work area(s). (Electronic access, microfiche, and other alternatives to maintaining paper copies of the material safety data sheets are permitted as long as no barriers to immediate employee access in each workplace are created by such options.)    The employer did not ensure employees could readily access safety data sheets in that the employees had no log on name or password for the computer.

Issued

Nov 8, 2017

Abate by

Nov 21, 2017

Penalty

Initial $8,873 · Current $4,436 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1): Employers shall provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment, and whenever a new physical or health hazard the employees have not previously been trained about is introduced into their work area. Information and training may be designed to cover categories of hazards (e.g., flammability, carcinogenicity) or specific chemicals. Chemical-specific information must always be available through labels and material safety data sheets.    The employer did not provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in the warehouse such as but not limited to GF Clean 771L (corrosive), Trexada 31.1 (corrosive) and CW 888L (corrosive).