OSHA Inspection: KOPPERS INC.

Issued

Apr 7, 2020

Abate by

Apr 13, 2020

Penalty

Initial $4,915 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0320

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1028(d)(1): The employer did not establish a regulated area where the airborne concentration of benzene exceeded or could reasonably be expected to exceed the permissible exposure limits, either the 8-hour time weighted average exposure of 1 part per million (ppm) or the short term exposure limit of 5 ppm for 15 minutes:  a. On or about March 11, 2020, in the Naphthalene building, air monitoring indicated employee exposure during the dehydrator draining task could reasonably be expected to exceed the Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL) for benzene.  The employer did not establish a regulated area as required by the standard.

Issued

Apr 7, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 0320

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1028(e)(1)(iii): Determinations of compliance with the STEL were not made from 15-minute employee breathing zone samples measured at operations where there was reason to believe exposures were high:   a. On or about March 11, 2020, in the Naphthalene building, short term exposure air monitoring was not conducted for employee exposures to benzene.  Employees performed tasks that could create high exposures such as draining the dehydrator pump.

Issued

Apr 7, 2020

Abate by

Apr 17, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 0320

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1028(j)(2)(i): The employer did not post signs at entrances to regulated areas. The signs did not bear the following legend:    DANGER  BENZENE  MAY CAUSE CANCER  HIGHLY FLAMMABLE LIQUID AND VAPOR DO NOT SMOKE  WEAR RESPIRATORY PROTECTION IN THIS AREA  AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY  a. On or about March 11, 2020, by the Naphthalene building, the benzene sign did not contain the required benzene warning information as required by the standard.