OSHA Inspection: SEED ENHANCEMENTS, LLC

Issued

2020-06-17 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-08-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3084.00 · Current $2000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1)(i): the employer did not ensure that each employee on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge that was 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level was protected from falling:     a) Manufacturing building - Line 1: On or about February 20, 2020, and at times prior thereto; Mixers and laborers are exposed to a five foot fall from the edge of a work platform onto concrete ground during mixing operations and blow-down operations.       Note* Abatement certification is required for this item.

Issued

2020-06-17 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-08-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3084.00 · Current $2000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(d)(1): The employer did not assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE):    a) Production Building: On or about February 20, 2020 and at times prior thereto; Employees are exposed to the hazards of eye irritation, respiratory irritation and skin irritation. Employer did not ensure employees working in the immediate vicinity of and in surrounding areas of seed coating manufacturing lines were wearing adequate protective gloves, respirators and eye protection specific to their job tasks and manufacturer guidelines in product Safety Data Sheets.      Note* Abatement certification IS required for this item.

Issued

2020-06-17 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-08-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): The employer did not develop, implement, and/or maintain at the workplace a written hazard communication program which describes how the criteria specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) will be met:  a) Manufacturing Lines 1 and 2, and Organics mixing line: On or about February 20, 2020 mixers and laborers were exposed to eye, skin, and respiratory hazards.   Note* Abatement certification IS required for this item.

Issued

2020-06-17 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-08-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

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 for each hazardous chemical:  a) On or about February 20, 2020,and at times prior thereto; employer did not ensure MSDSs were replaced with SDSs which include required hazard communication information to include but not limited to pictograms and updated safety precautions. Apron XL LS and BorreGRO CA Powder MSDSs have not been replaced by SDSs, although they are available from the manufacturer.     Note* Abatement certification IS required for this item.

Issued

2020-06-17 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-08-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

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) Manufacturing Lines 1 and 2, and Organics mixing line: On or about February 20, 2020, mixers and laborers were not trained to recognize eye, skin, or respiratory hazards associated with materials used in the seed coating manufacturing process. Training did not include full implementation of Safety Data Sheets (SDS) which replaced MSDs as required by the Globally Harmonized System 2012 for hazardous communication.    Note* Abatement certification IS required for this item.

Issued

2020-06-17 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-08-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3084.00 · Current $2000.00 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:    a) Manufacturing Building: On or about February 20, 2020 and at times prior thereto; employer required chemical mixing employees to wear N95 particulate masks while combining binders, colors, seed, and custom seed coatings on manufacturing Lines 1 and 2 to prevent exposure to dust and chemical hazards from Syngenta Apron XL LS, CAS# 70630-17-0 & 69516-34-3 (fungicide), Heucosperse I tm, Carbazole Violet, CAS# 1336-21-6, Stamina, BASF Corporation, CAS# 175013-18-0, Nitragin Gold Inoculant, Crystalline quartz, CAS Number: 14808-60-7, Calcium Carbonate, OMRI Listed Organic, BorreGRO Powder, Trade Name: Calcium Lignosulfonate, CAS Number: 8061-52-7, Joyforce Polyvinyl Alcohol, CAS# 9002-89-5, and SELVOL Polyvinyl Alcohol.      Note* Abatement certification IS required for this item.

Issued

2020-06-17 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-08-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(2)(i): Respirator users were not provided with the information contained in Appendix D to 29 CFR 1910.134 when the employer determined that any voluntary respirator use was permissible:  a) Manufacturing Building: On or about February 20, and at times prior thereto; laborers and non-mixer employees wore 3M N95 particulate respirators to protect against nuisance dust. Employees wore full beards or facial hair, and did not secure the bottom strap of their respirator.    Note* Abatement certification IS required for this item.

Issued

2020-06-17 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-08-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

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 or about February 20, and at times prior thereto; Non-mixer employees and laborers wore 3M N95 particulate respirators to protect against nuisance dust. Employees wore full beards or facial hair, and did not use both rubber straps to fit their N95s. One employee voluntarily wears a tight-fitting respirator, but has not been medically evaluated to wear the respirator.    Note* Abatement certification IS required for this item.

Issued

2020-06-17 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-08-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(d)(1)(iii): The employer did not identify and evaluate the respiratory hazard(s) in the workplace; including a reasonable estimate of employee exposures to respiratory hazards and identification of the contaminant's chemical state and physical form:  a) Manufacturing building: On or about February 20, 2020 an at times prior thereto; employees mixing wet chemicals and powders used in the manufacturing process of custom seed coatings, and employees performing blow down and clean-up of the facility were exposed to airborne particulates from Syngenta Apron XL LS, CAS# 70630-17-0 & 69516-34-3 (fungicide), Heucosperse I tm, Carbazole Violet, CAS# 1336-21-6, Stamina, BASF Corporation, CAS# 175013-18-0, Nitragin Gold Inoculant, Crystalline quartz, CAS Number: 14808-60-7, Calcium Carbonate, OMRI Listed Organic, BorreGRO Powder, Trade Name: Calcium Lignosulfonate, CAS Number: 8061-52-7, Joyforce Polyvinyl Alcohol, CAS# 9002-89-5, and SELVOL Polyvinyl Alcohol.   Note* Abatement certification IS required for this item.

Issued

2020-06-17 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-08-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $433.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.151(c): Where employees were exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body were not provided within the work area for immediate emergency use:    a) Line 1 and Line 2 upper mixing platform and Organics mixing station:  On or about February 20, 2020 and at times prior thereto; mixer employees are exposed to splash hazards and skin contact hazards at manual bag dump stations on Line 1, Line 2 and Organics mixing station.     Note* Abatement certification IS required for this item.

Issued

2020-06-17 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.157(c)(4): Portable fire extinguishers were not maintained in a fully charged and operable condition:  a) On or about February 20, 2020 and at times prior thereto; fire extinguishers mounted in the vicinity of Lines 1 and 2 were not fully charged and available to employees in the event of an incipient fire around mechanical equipment and nuisance dust from coating operations.     Note* Abatement certification IS required for this item.

Issued

2020-06-17 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-08-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(a)(5): The powered industrial truck was equipped with front-end attachments other than factory installed attachments, however the employer did not request that the truck be marked to identify the attachments and show the approximate weight of the truck and attachment combination at maximum elevation with load laterally centered:  a) On or about February 20, 2020 and at times prior thereto; employer allowed the use of an elevated work platform used as a forklift attachment to repair light bulbs, repair equipment and to access the PVOH tank at heights greater than 10 feet, but the forklift attachment was not marked.    Note* Abatement certification IS required for this item.

Issued

2020-06-17 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-08-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.242(b): Compressed air used for cleaning purposes was not reduced to less than 30 p.s.i.:  a) On or about February 20, 2020 and at times prior thereto; Line 2 compressed air hoses used for cleaning dust off of conveyors, duct work, walking/working surfaces, and equipment operators' clothes was measured at 35.8 - 59.1 PSI.  Note* Abatement certification IS required for this item.