OSHA Inspection: PALOMAR WORKS INC

Issued

Jan 21, 2020

Abate by

Feb 7, 2020

Penalty

Initial $3,441 · Current $1,893 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(d)(1): The employer did not assess the workplace to determine if hazards were present, or were likely to be present, which necessitated the use of personal protective equipment:    Greenhouse, Processing, and Fertigation Areas: Employee(s) perform pH balancing, cleaning, and pesticide application operations, which require working with corrosives and irritants. A workplace hazard assessment was not performed to determine personal protective equipment requirements. Employees were exposed to irritation hazards.

Issued

Jan 21, 2020

Penalty

Initial $3,441 · Current $1,893 Reduced

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:    Greenhouse, Processing, and Fertigation Areas: Employees use full-face and half-mask respirators for operations, such as spraying foliar and cleaning equipment. A written respiratory protection program was not fully implemented for employees using full-facepiece and half mask respirators. Employees were exposed to respiratory irritation hazards.

Issued

Jan 21, 2020

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:  Greenhouse, Processing, and Fertigation Areas: Employee(s) used 3M negative pressure respirators for operations, such as spraying foliar and cleaning equipment. Employees were not medically evaluated to determine if the respirator by itself could create a hazard for the employee.

Issued

Jan 21, 2020

Abate by

Feb 7, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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:  Greenhouse and Fertigation Areas: Employees use 3M negative-pressure respirators for operations, such as spraying foliar, without a fit test prior to initial use. Employees were exposed to respiratory irritation hazards.

Issued

Jan 21, 2020

Abate by

Feb 7, 2020

Penalty

Initial $3,441 · Current $1,893 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(h)(2)(i): Respirators were not stored to protect them from damage, contamination, dust, sunlight, extreme temperatures, excessive moisture, and damaging chemicals or  were not packed or stored to prevent deformation of the facepiece and exhalation valve:    In the following locations, respirators were stored without protection from environmental contamination:  a) Processing Room - A 3M half mask respirator was hanging on a shelf by its elastomeric straps  b) Fertigation Room - A 3M half mask respirator was stored on a table top.    Employees were exposed to respiratory and dermal irritation hazards associated with damaged and dirty respirators.

Issued

Jan 21, 2020

Abate by

Feb 7, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(1): The employer did not provide effective training to employees who were required to use respirators:  Greenhouse, Processing, and Fertigation Areas: Employees were using 3M tight-fitting, elastomeric respirators for spraying foliar and cleaning equipment, without training provided prior to initial use. Employees were exposed to respiratory irritation hazards.

Issued

Jan 21, 2020

Abate by

Feb 7, 2020

Penalty

Initial $3,441 · Current $1,893 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6)(ii): Except as provided in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(7) and 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(8), the employer did not ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace was labeled, tagged or marked with the product identifier and words, pictures, symbols, or combination thereof, which provide at least general information regarding the hazards of the chemicals and which, in conjunction with the other information immediately available to employees under the hazard communication program, would provide employees with the specific information regarding the physical and health hazards of the hazardous chemical    Greenhouse: Employee(s) used isopropyl alcohol to clean cutting tools between handling different plants. A secondary spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol had "ISO" written on a piece of tape. General information regarding the hazards of the chemical was not provided on the container. Employees were exposed to irritation hazards.

Issued

Jan 21, 2020

Abate by

Feb 7, 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:  Greenhouse, Processing, and Fertigation Areas: Employee(s) perform pH balancing, cleaning, and pesticide application operations without training on the hazards of the chemicals. Employees were exposed to irritation hazards.