OSHA Inspection: H2O WATERWALLS INC.

Issued

Jan 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $1,735 · Current $375 Reduced

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 October 4, 2019, H2O Waterwalls Inc. did not provide medical evaluations to employees using respiratory protection, including 3M and Miller LPF-100 half face tight-fitting respirators, when grinding and/or welding stainless steel, aluminum or mild carbon steel.   No abatement certification or documentation is required for this item.

Issued

Jan 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $2,892 · Current $375 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(d)(1): The employer with a workplace or work operation covered by this standard did not determine the 8-hour time-weighted average exposure for each employee exposed to chromium (VI):  a) On October 4, 2019, H2O Waterwalls Inc. did not determine the 8-hour time-weighted average exposure for employees exposed to chromium (VI) while grinding and/or welding the edges of stainless steel water tanks.    No abatement certification or documentation is required for this item.

Issued

Jan 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $1,735 · Current $375 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(i)(5): The employer did not ensure that employees did not eat, drink, smoke, chew tobacco or gum, or apply cosmetics in regulated areas, or in areas where skin or eye contact with chromium (VI) occurred:  a) On October 4, 2019, H2O Waterwalls Inc. did not ensure that employees working in the welding area did not eat and/or drink at their welding stations.  No abatement certification or documentation is required for this item.

Issued

Jan 30, 2020

Abate by

Feb 26, 2020

Penalty

Initial $2,892 · Current $375 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1026(l)(1)(iii): The employer had not included chromium (VI) in the hazard communication program, established to comply with the Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200, ensured that each employee had access to labels on containers of chromium (VI) and to safety data sheets, and was trained in accordance with the requirements of the Hazard Communication Standard and 29 CFR 1910.1026(l)(2), including the contents of the Hexavalent Chromium Standard, the purpose and a description of the medical surveillance program, and made copies of this standard available to all affected employees:   a) On October 4, 2019, H2O Waterwalls Inc. did not include chromium (VI) in its hazard communication program or provide training on the hazards of chromium (VI). Employees working in the welding area were exposed to chromium (VI) when welding on stainless steel.   In accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19(d), abatement certification is required for this violation (using the CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTIVE ACTION WORKSHEET), and in addition, documentation demonstrating that abatement is complete must be included with your certification.  This documentation may include, but is not limited to, evidence of the purchase or repair of the equipment, photographic or video evidence of abatement, or other written records.

Issued

Jan 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): The employer did not develop or implement a written hazard communication program in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1) that would describe or include at least the following: 1) Requirement for labeling and other forms of warning; 2) Safety data sheet availability; 3) Employee information and training; 4) A list of hazardous chemicals known to be present in the workplace;  5) Methods to inform employees of the hazards on non-routine tasks; and  6) Methods to provide other employer(s) access to safety data sheet; information on any precautionary measures and the labeling system used in the workplace.  a) On October 4, 2019, H2O Waterwalls Inc. did not develop, implement, and/or maintain at the workplace a written hazard communication program which described how the criteria specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) would be met. Employees were exposed to hazardous chemicals, including but not limited to, Avesta Pickling Paste 101, which contained nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid, when welding on stainless steel.    No abatement certification or documentation is required for this item.

Issued

Jan 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(8): The employer did not maintain in the workplace copies of the required safety data sheets (SDS) for each hazardous chemical:  a) On October 4, 2019, H2O Waterwalls Inc. did not maintain a SDS for the Avesta Pickling Paste 101, which contained nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid, used by employees when welding on stainless steel.   No abatement certification or documentation is required for this item.

Issued

Jan 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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 October 4, 2019, H2O Waterwalls Inc. did not provide employees, welding on stainless steel, with information and training on hazardous chemicals including Avesta Pickling Paste 101, which contained nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid.   No abatement certification or documentation is required for this item.

Issued

Jan 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(2)(i): The employer did not provide respirator users with information contained in Appendix D to this section when the employer determined that any voluntary respirator use was permissible:  a) On October 4, 2019, H2O Waterwalls Inc. allowed employees to use respiratory protection, including 3M and Miller LPF-100 half face tight-fitting respirators, but did not provide them with the information contained in Appendix D of the respirator standard.  No abatement certification or documentation is required for this item.

Issued

Jan 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(2)(ii): The employer did not establish and implement those elements of a written program necessary to ensure that any employee using a respirator voluntarily was medically able to use that respirator, and that the respirator was cleaned, stored, and maintained so that its use does not present a health hazard to the user:  a) On October 4, 2019, H2O Waterwalls Inc. did not establish those elements of a written respiratory program, necessary to ensure  employees voluntarily using respiratory protection, including 3M and Miller LPF-100 half face tight-fitting respirators, were medically able to use the it and that the respirators were cleaned, stored and maintained properly.  No abatement certification or documentation is required for this item.

Issued

Jan 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(g)(1)(ii): The required working space about electric equipment rated 600 volts, nominal, or less to ground, was used for storage:  a) On October 4, 2019, H2O Waterwalls Inc. did not ensure that the required working space around electrical equipment, including an electrical panel, meter and safety switches, located in the welding area was not used for storage. Access was blocked by tool chests and a welding machine.   No abatement certification or documentation is required for this item.