OSHA Inspection: SEMPER DIVING & MARINE, CORP.

Issued

Feb 25, 2020

Abate by

Apr 14, 2020

Penalty

Initial $3,932 · Current $1,934 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

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:     Independence (Griffin) Wharf:        On or about September 27, 2019, employer did not provide a medical evaluation to employees who are required to wear N95 particulate respirators and whose exposure level exceeded the 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3) for crystalline silica while operating hand-held powered chipping tools to remove concrete from a concrete pier support.

Issued

Feb 25, 2020

Abate by

Apr 14, 2020

Penalty

Initial $3,932 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(2): Employee(s) using tight-fitting facepiece respirators were not fit tested prior to initial use of the respirator:     Independence (Griffin) Wharf:         On or about September 27, 2019, employer did not provide fit testing to employees who wore N95 particulate respirators and whose exposure level exceeded the 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3) for crystalline silica while operating hand-held powered chipping tools to remove concrete from a concrete pier support.

Issued

Feb 25, 2020

Abate by

Apr 14, 2020

Penalty

Initial $3,932 · Current $1,933 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1153(c)(1): For each employee engaged in a task identified on Table 1, the employer did not fully and properly implement the engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection specified for the task on Table 1, unless the employer assesses and limits the exposure of the employee to respirable crystalline silica in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section:    Independence (Griffin) Wharf:        On or about September 27, 2019, for employees who were operating hand-held powered chipping tools to remove concrete from a concrete pier support, the employer did not fully and properly implement the engineering controls and work practices specified for the task on Table 1 paragraph (x).  Controls required by this section included use of a tool with water delivery system that supplied a continuous stream or spray of water at the point of impact.  Employees were overexposed to the 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3) for crystalline silica.

Issued

Feb 25, 2020

Abate by

Apr 14, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

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:  Independence (Griffin) Wharf:      On or about September 27, 2019, where the employer did not follow Table I requirements, the employer did not assess employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica for concrete chipping tasks without engineering controls.  Employees who were operating a hand-held powered chipping tool to remove concrete from a concrete pier support, were overexposed to the 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3) for crystalline silica.

Issued

Feb 25, 2020

Abate by

Apr 14, 2020

Penalty

Initial $3,932 · Current $1,933 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1153(d)(1): The employer did not ensure that employees were not exposed to an airborne concentration of respirable crystalline silica in excess of 50 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3), calculated as an 8-hour time weighted average:    Independence (Griffin) Wharf:    On or about September 27, 2019, employees who were operating a hand-held powered chipping tool to remove concrete from a concrete pier support were overexposed to the 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3) for crystalline silica.      a) An employee #1 who was chipping concrete was exposed to silica in excess of the OSHA PEL of 50 mcg/m3.  Employee's exposure level was 73.3 mcg/m3 of the 8-hour TWA.  The severity of the exposure level was 1.5 times the OSHA PEL.      b) An employee #2 who was chipping concrete was exposed to silica in excess of the OSHA PEL of 50 mcg/m3.  Employee's exposure level was 60.6 mcg/m3 of the 8-hour TWA.  The severity of the exposure level was 1.2 times the OSHA PEL.

Issued

Feb 25, 2020

Abate by

Apr 14, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1153(g)(2): The employer did not review and evaluate the effectiveness of the written exposure control plan at least annually and update it as necessary:  Independence (Griffin) Wharf:  On or about September 27, 2019, employer did not review and evaluate the effectiveness of the written exposure control plan for employees who operate hand-held powered chipping tools to remove concrete from a concrete pier support and whose exposure level exceeded the 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3) for crystalline silica.