OSHA Inspection: ARCH CHEMICALS INC.

Issued

May 10, 2019

Abate by

Jun 25, 2019

Penalty

Initial $13,260 · Current $11,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(e)(3)(vi): The process hazard analysis did not address human factors.    a) On or about 12/13/18 at the chlorine rail car siting; employees were exposed to contact and inhalation of chlorine when the CL2 PHA Checklist - 2015 Human Factors Checklist did not address the human factors issues, such as but not limited to, a lack of a readily identifiable visual distinction between the chlorine rail car supplying the process and the back-up chlorine rail car.      b) On or about 12/13/18 at the chlorine rail car siting; employees were exposed to contact and inhalation of chlorine when the CL2 PHA Checklist - 2015 Human Factors Checklist did not address the human factors issues, such as but not limited to, reverse labeling of the selector switches on the control panel for the Liquid chlorine and Rail car Blow-down compared to  the physical location chlorine rail cars.      ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

Issued

May 10, 2019

Abate by

Jun 25, 2019

Penalty

Initial $13,260 · Current $11,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(f)(4): The employer did not implement safe work practices to provide for the control of hazards during operations such as lockout/tagout, opening process equipment or piping;     a) On or about 12/12/18 at C Dock; employees were exposed to chlorine vapors when employer did not implement safe work practices, such as but not limited to, the verification of isolation of all forms of hazardous energy prior to the chlorine rail car disconnecting operations to prevent a full rail car of chlorine from being opened, as described in Section 2 - Field Inspection of the Lonza General Work Permit procedure, document number USAD 40897, when the senior chlorine operator and the maintenance employees did not perform a walk down or field inspection of the unloading site to verify the correct chlorine rail car was being disconnected resulting in a release of chlorine.          ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

Issued

May 10, 2019

Abate by

Jun 25, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(d)(6): Prior to starting work on machines or equipment that had been locked out or tagged out, the authorized employee did not verify that isolation and deenergization of the machine or equipment had been accomplished:    a) On or about 12/12/18 at C Dock; employees were exposed to chlorine vapors when the senior chlorine operator and the maintenance employees did not perform a walk down or field inspection of the unloading site to verify the correct chlorine rail car was being disconnected, as per Section 2 - Field Inspection of the Lonza General Work Permit procedure, document number USAD 40897, resulting in a release of chlorine.       ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

Issued

May 10, 2019

Penalty

Initial $5,683 · Current $5,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(2): Employee(s) using a tight-fitting facepiece respirator were not annually fit tested:    a) On or about 12/12/18 in the Maintenance department; employee wearing a full face respirator was exposed to inhalation of chlorine vapors during the disconnecting of a chlorine rail car, when his last respirator fit testing was conducted on 04/07/17.      NO ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED