OSHA Inspection: MILTEC, INC.

Issued

Apr 19, 2018

Abate by

Dec 2, 2019

Penalty

Initial $5,174 · Current $5,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances M102

General-duty citation text

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which was free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in-that employees were exposed to combustible dust explosion and deflagration hazards while working at or near the indoor combustible dust collection systems which were not adequately designed to prevent or minimize employee exposure in the event of an explosion or deflagration:    (a) An indoor Donaldson Torit Dust Collector in the North Mixing Area, which was used for collecting a combustible mixture of polyvinyl (PVC) homopolymer powder combined with other ingredients, lacked means of explosion and deflagration protection.  In addition, the dust collector lacked means of explosion and deflagration protection (isolation) for the upstream processes and the area below unit's material discharge.

Issued

Apr 19, 2018

Abate by

May 15, 2018

Penalty

Initial $5,174 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances M102

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(a)(1): All places of employment, passageways, storerooms, and service rooms were not kept clean and orderly and in a sanitary condition.    (a)    In the vicinity of the dust collector and the various mixing tanks, horizontal surfaces were excessively layered with a combustible dust containing polyvinyl chloride resin powder and other components.  These surfaces included, but were not limited to, ducts venting mixers to the dust collector; horizontal pipe and conduit runs in the vicinity of Mixing Tanks 20, 22, 24, and 26;  horizontal runs of red vacuum lines and black compressed air lines in the vicinity of Mixing Tanks 30, 32, and 34; horizontal surfaces of electrical boxes, on horizontal surfaces of the surge tank adjacent to the Donaldson Torit Dust Collector, runs of conduit and piping mounted on the wall adjacent to the Donaldson Torit Dust Collector, and on the horizontal surface of the yellow clearance bar traversing the wall opening between the North and South Mixing Areas.  This condition potentially exposed workers to deflagration and fire hazards.

Issued

Apr 19, 2018

Abate by

May 15, 2018

Penalty

Initial $1,885 · Current $1,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(2)(ii): The employer did not establish and implement those elements of a written program necessary to ensure that any employee using a respirator voluntarily was medically able to use that respirator, and that the respirator was cleaned, stored, and maintained so that its use does not present a health hazard to the user:    (a) On or about January 11, 2018, in the North Mixing Area, a Batch Maker working at Mixer #14 voluntarily used a half-face elastomeric respirator equipped with dual chemical cartridges when adding dry ingredients to the mixer.    No medical evaluation had been provided to verify that this worker was medically able to use this respirator. There was no provision for cleaning or storage of the respirator.

Issued

Apr 19, 2018

Abate by

May 15, 2018

Penalty

Initial $1,885 · Current $1,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): The employer did not develop, implement, and/or maintain at the workplace a written hazard communication program which describes how the criteria specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) will be met:     (a) The "Miltec Hazard Communication Program" was established on 8/12/1996 and had not been updated to comply with changes that occurred when the OSHA Hazard Communication standard was revised in 2012.  For example, the written program referenced Material Safety Data Sheets, rather than Safety Data Sheets.  In addition, the "Miltec Hazard Communication Program" did not cover the following information:        (1) A description of labeling information on received containers, which are required to be labeled in accordance with HazCom 2012, including product identity, pictogram(s), hazard statement, signal word, and precautionary statement(s);        (2) A description of any in-house labeling system used to convey required workplace label information.    Workers have exposure to hazardous chemicals including, but not limited to Formalon Dispersion PVC Homopolymer, Calcium Oxide (Lime), Mineral Spirits 66/3, and Resorcinol.