OSHA Inspection: COLORADO HAZARD CONTROL, LLC

Issued

May 3, 2018

Abate by

Jun 7, 2018

Penalty

Initial $2,968 · Current $2,400 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1153(d)(2)(i): The employer did not assess the exposure of each employee who was or may reasonably be expected to be exposed to respirable crystalline silica at or above the action level in accordance with either the performance option in paragraph (d)(2)(ii) or the scheduled monitoring option in paragraph (d)(2)(iii) of this section.     (a) Colorado Hazard Control at 1777 6th Street in Boulder, CO 80302:  On or before February 22, 2018, the employer was having workers use an abrasive blasting technique in an asbestos enclosure.  The workers were working in the area in the direct rebound of the blast media. The material being blasted was block filler on concrete masonry units or blocks that contain silica.  The blast media contained silica sand.  No personal air monitoring had been conducted by the employer to assess compliance with the standard.  The work being conducted does not fall within Table 1.

Issued

May 3, 2018

Abate by

Jun 7, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 90109020

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.57(f)(5)(i): Employers did not use only respirators approved by NIOSH under 42 CFR part 84 for protecting employees from dusts produced during abrasive-blasting operations.   (a)   Colorado Hazard Control at 1777 6th Street in Boulder, CO 80302:  On or before February 22, 2018, the employer selected powered air purifying respirators (PAPR) for employees to wear on the asbestos project that was impacting silica and did not select the appropriate respirator for abrasive blasting, an abrasive blasting respirator type CE.  In selecting the PAPR respirator, the employer was only taking the potential asbestos exposure into advisement and did not consider the blow back of the abrasive blasting into the exhalation valves of the employees PAPRs, resulting in blast media, asbestos containing materials, silica and debris being blown into employees respirators during blasting.  (b) Colorado Hazard Control at 1777 6th Street in Boulder, CO 80302:  On or before February 22, 2018, the employer was having workers use an abrasive blasting technique in an asbestos enclosure.  The workers were working in the area in the direct rebound of the blast media. The material being blasted was block filler containing 2% chrysotile asbestos on concrete masonry units or blocks that contain silica.  The blast media contained silica sand.  Personal air monitoring conducted by the employer showed 6 exposures above the excursion limit for asbestos:  0.131, 0.131, 0.149, 0.241, 0.447, and 1.315 fibers per cubic centimeter.  33 of 76 total personal air samples taken to determine asbestos exposures were listed as CBR or cannot be read as the filter media in the sample was covered over with debris, likely from the blast rebound.