OSHA Inspection: VENANGO STEEL, INC.

Issued

May 9, 2019

Penalty

Initial $3,789 · Current $2,300 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0689

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(g)(1)(i): The employer did not provide each employee an appropriate respirator during periods necessary to install or implement feasible engineering and work practice controls:    a) Venango Steel, Inc. - The company discontinued sampling of a welder when sampling results indicated employee exposure to Hexavalent Chromium (Chromium VI) above the permissible exposure level (PEL).  Monitoring records provided by the company, on or about November 9, 2018, indicated a welder was exposed to 28.4 ug/m3, as an 8 hour Time-Weighted Average (TWA), on May 24, 2018, while welding stainless steel.  The company did not provide the welder with an appropriate respirator during periods necessary to install or implement feasible engineering and work practice controls.

Issued

May 9, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 0689

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(d)(2)(iv): Where the most recent exposure monitoring revealed that employee exposures to chromium (VI)were above the PEL, the employer did not repeat such monitoring within three months of the most recent monitoring:  a) Venango Steel, Inc. - The company discontinued sampling of a welder when sampling results indicated employee exposure to Hexavalent Chromium (Chromium VI) above the permissible exposure level (PEL).  Monitoring records provided by the company, on or about November 9, 2018, indicated a welder was exposed to 28.4 ug/m3, as an 8 hour Time-Weighted Average (TWA), on May 24, 2018, while welding stainless steel.  The company had not conducted additional monitoring.

Issued

May 9, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 0689

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(d)(4)(ii): The exposure determination indicated that employee exposure to chromium (VI) was above the permissible exposure limit; however, the employer did not describe in the written notification the corrective action being taken to reduce employee exposure to or below the permissible exposure limit:  a) Venango Steel, Inc. - Monitoring records provided by the company, on or about November 9, 2018, indicated a welder was exposed to 28.4 ug/m3, as an 8 hour Time-Weighted Average (TWA), on May 24, 2018, while welding stainless steel.   Written notifications, provided to employees, did not describe corrective actions being taken to reduce employee exposure to or below the PEL.

Issued

May 9, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 0689

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(d)(2)(i): The employer using the scheduled monitoring option did not perform initial monitoring to determine the 8-hour time-weighted average exposure to chromium (VI) for each employee on the basis of a sufficient number of personal breathing zone air samples to accurately characterize full shift exposure on each shift, for each job classification, in each work area:  a.) Venango Steel, Inc. - On or about February 12, 2019, a Grinder was exposed to 0.1 ug/m3 of Hexavalent Chromium (Chromium VI), as an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA), while grinding stainless steel.  The exposure level was derived from one sample collected over 402 minutes and assumed zero exposure for the remaining work shift.  The Company had not previously determined 8-hour TWA exposures for grinders potentially exposed to Chromium VI.    b.) Venango Steel, Inc. - On or about February 12, 2019, a Laser Operator was exposed to 0.1 ug/m3 of Hexavalent Chromium (Chromium VI), as an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA), while cutting stainless steel.  The exposure level was derived from one sample collected over 401 minutes and assumed zero exposure for the remaining work shift.  The Company had not previously determined 8-hour TWA exposures for Laser Operators potentially exposed to Chromium VI.    c.) Venango Steel, Inc. - On or about February 12, 2019, Company had not previously determined 8-hour TWA exposures for Burn table operators potentially exposed to Chromium VI, while burning stainless steel.

Issued

May 9, 2019

Abate by

Jun 26, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 0689

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(l)(2)(ii): The employer did not make a copy of the Chromium (VI) standard, 29 CFR 1910.1026, readily available to all employees who were exposed to chromium (VI):  a.) Venango Steel, Inc. - On or about February 12, 2019, and dates prior thereto:  Employees were exposed to Hexavalent Chromium (Chromium VI), while conducting stainless steel production operations including, but not limited to, welding, grinding, and laser cutting, and burning.  A copy of 29 CFR 1910.1026, was not readily available to all employees exposed to Chromium (VI).