OSHA Inspection: AMERICAN RECLAIMING COMPANY, INC.

Issued

Feb 11, 2019

Penalty

Initial $2,273 · Current $909 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9130

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(d)(1)(iii): The employer did not identify and evaluate the respiratory hazard(s) in the workplace; including a reasonable estimate of employee exposures to respiratory hazards and identification of the contaminant's chemical state and physical form.     a)     On or about December 11, 2018, American Reclaiming Company, Inc., did not evaluate the respiratory hazards such as but not limited to, respirable dust in the work place. An employee conducting sandblasting operations was exposed to a TWA of respirable dust of 104.93 mg/m3, which exceeded the PEL of 5 mg/m3 by 2000%. Exposure to respirable total dust can cause irritation to the eyes, skin, throat, and upper respiratory system.

Issued

Feb 11, 2019

Abate by

Jun 24, 2019

Penalty

Initial $2,273 · Current $909 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9130

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(a)(2): Employee(s) were exposed to an airborne concentration of total respirable dust  listed in Table Z-1 in excess of the 8 hour Time Weighted Average concentration of 5 mg/m3.    a) On or about December 11, 2018, American Reclaiming Company, Inc., did not ensure employees were not exposed to respirable total dust in excess of the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) as an 8-hour Time Weighted Average (TWA). An employee conducting sandblasting operations was exposed to a TWA of respirable dust of 104.93 mg/m3, which exceeded the PEL of 5 mg/m3 by 2000%. Exposure to respirable total dust can cause irritation to the eyes, skin, throat, and upper respiratory system.    b) On or about December 11, 2018, American Reclaiming Company, Inc., did not ensure employees were not exposed to total dust in excess of the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) as an 8-hour Time Weighted Average (TWA). An employee conducting sandblasting operations was exposed to a TWA of total dust of 284.11 mg/m3, which exceeded the PEL of 15 mg/m3 by 1894.00%. Exposure to respirable total dust can cause irritation to the eyes, skin, throat, and upper respiratory system.        Three Step for Overexposures:  Step 1: Provide effective respiratory protection to and ensure it is used by exposed employees as an interim protective measure until feasible engineering and/or administrative controls can be implemented or whenever such controls fail to reduce employee exposure to within permissible exposure limits.      Step 2: A written detailed plan of abatement shall be submitted to the Area Director outlining a schedule for the implementation of engineering and/or administrative measures to control employee exposures to hazardous substances as referenced in this citation.  This plan shall include, at a minimum, target dates for the following actions which must be consistent with the abatement dates required by this citation:      (1)   Evaluation of engineering /administrative control options;   (2)   Selection of optimum control methods and completion of design;  (3)   Procurement, installation and operation of selected control measures;   (4)   Testing and acceptance or modification/redesign .      All proposed control measures shall be approved for each particular use by a competent industrial hygienist or other technically qualified person.  90 day progress reports are required during the abatement period.      Step3: Abatement shall have been completed by the implementation of feasible engineering and/or administrative controls upon verification of their effectiveness in achieving compliance.      Feasible engineering controls include, but are not limited to:       Substitution of coal slag blasting material to alternatives such as but not limited to, ice cubes, dry ice, plastic bead media, sponge, sodium bicarbonate.         Employee rotation of the job task

Issued

Feb 11, 2019

Abate by

Jun 24, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9130

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(e): Feasible administrative or engineering controls were not determined and implemented to achieve compliance with the limits prescribed in 29 CFR 1910.1000(a) through (d):    a) On or about December 11, 2018, American Reclaiming Company, Inc., did not ensure that engineering controls were determined and implemented to reduce employee exposure to total dust while sandblasting.  An employee conducting sandblasting operations was exposed to a TWA of respirable dust of 104.93 mg/m3, which exceeded the PEL of 5 mg/m3 by 2000%. Exposure to respirable total dust can cause irritation to the eyes, skin, throat, and upper respiratory system.    b) On or about December 11, 2018, American Reclaiming Company, Inc., did not ensure that engineering controls were determined and implemented to reduce employee exposure to total dust while sandblasting.  An employee conducting sandblasting operations was exposed to a TWA of total dust of 284.11 mg/m3, which exceeded the PEL of 15 mg/m3 by 1893%. Exposure to respirable total dust can cause irritation to the eyes, skin, throat, and upper respiratory system.

Issued

Feb 11, 2019

Abate by

Apr 18, 2019

Penalty

Initial $2,273 · Current $909 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9130

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) On or about December 11, 2018, American Reclaiming Company, Inc., did not develop a written hazard communication program for employees exposed to but not limited to, Black Beauty (irritation to eyes, skin, throat and upper respiratory system). An employee conducting sandblasting operations utilizing the abrasive Black Beauty, which contained but not limited to respirable dust.

Issued

Feb 11, 2019

Abate by

Mar 8, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9130

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(1): Chemical manufacturers and importers did not obtain or develop a safety data sheet for each hazardous chemical and for each chemical that posed a hazard not otherwise classified that they produce or import.    a)     On or about December 11, 2018, American Reclaiming Company, Inc., did not obtain safety data sheets for abrasive blasting material Black Beauty (eye, skin, throat & respiratory irritation). An employee conducting sandblasting operations using Black Beauty was exposed to respirable dust. Exposure to respirable total dust can cause irritation to the eyes, skin, throat, and upper respiratory system.

Issued

Feb 11, 2019

Abate by

Apr 8, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9130

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1): Employees were not provided effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment and whenever a new hazard that the employees had not been previously trained about was introduced into their work area:      a)     On or about December 11, 2018, American Reclaiming Company, Inc., did not provide employees training on hazardous chemicals in their work area. Employees conducting sandblasting operations were exposed to Black Beauty (respirable dust). Exposure to respirable total dust can cause irritation to the eyes, skin, throat, and upper respiratory system.

Issued

Feb 11, 2019

Abate by

Apr 30, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1): A written respiratory protection program that included the provisions in 29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1)(i) - (ix) with worksite specific procedures was not established and implemented for required respirator use.      a)     On or about December 11, 2018, American Reclaiming Company, Inc., did not develop a written respiratory protection program for employees required to utilize a supplied air respirator while conducting sandblasting operations.

Issued

Feb 11, 2019

Abate by

Mar 8, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1): The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace.    a) On or about December 11, 2018, American Reclaiming Company, Inc., did not provide a medical evaluation for employees required to use a supplied air respirator while conducting sandblasting operations.