OSHA Inspection: FORTRESS CEMENT

Issued

2020-09-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2021-08-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $6747.00 · Current $4048.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c): The employer did not develop and implement a written respiratory protection program with required worksite-specific procedures and elements for required respirator use:  Port of Morehead City:  On or about July 15, 2020, the employer did not developed a written respiratory protection program to ensure all employees engaged in the use of 3M half-face negative pressure respirators while handling and loading of numerous bags of concrete were trained, fit tested and medically cleared to don such equipment.   ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

Issued

2020-09-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2021-08-31 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:  Port of Morehead City:  On or about July 15, 2020, where employees were being exposed to unknown levels of concrete dust, a respiratory assessment had not been conducted to determine if the 3M half face respirators being provided to employees was adequate protection.   ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

Issued

2020-09-21 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(1): The employer did not provide respirator training that would ensure each employee could demonstrate knowledge of items in section (i)-(vii):   Port of Morehead City:  On or about July 15, 2020, management did not ensure that an employee engaged in the handling and loading of numerous bags of concrete was wearing a respirator equipped with the correct filtering cartridges where organic vapor was being used rather than HEPA for dust hazards.   CORRECTED DURING INSPECTION

Issued

2020-09-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-11-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4048.00 · Current $2429.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(a)(6): The employer did not ensure that all nameplates and markings were in place:  Port of Morehead City:  On or about July 15, 2020, the employer did not ensure that data plate and markings on the orange Toyota forklift was maintained in a legible fashion:     ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

Issued

2020-09-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-11-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(1)(i): The employer did not ensure that each powered industrial truck operator is competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely, as demonstrated by the successful completion of the training and evaluation specified in this paragraph (l):  Port of Morehead City:  On or about July 15, 2020, the employer did not ensure that all Powered Industrial Trucks (PIT) operators were trained, evaluated and certified on the safety and proper use of such equipment.   ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

Issued

2020-09-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2021-11-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $8096.00 · Current $4858.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(c):  Employees were exposed to total dust listed in Table Z-3, in excess of 15 mg/m3 as an 8 hour Time Weighted Average concentration:  Port of Morehead City,  a.     On or about July 15, 2020, a forklift operator handling and loading large bags of Portland Cement into hoppers was exposed to total dust at an 8-hour TWA of 47.28 mg/m3.  This exceeded the calculated permissible exposure level of 15 mg/m3 by 3.15 times.  The exposure level was derived from one sample collected over 462 minute sampling period.  The remaining unsampled time of 18 minutes was entered as zero exposure.  b.     On or about July 15, 2020, a forklift operator/laborer assisting in the handling and loading large bags of Portland Cement into hoppers was exposed to total dust at an 8-hour TWA of 31.05 mg/m3.  This exceeded the calculated permissible exposure level of 15 mg/m3 by 2.07  times.  The exposure level was derived from one sample collected over 458 minute sampling period.  The remaining unsampled time of 22 minutes was entered as zero exposure.   ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION REQURIED

Issued

2020-09-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2021-11-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(e): The employer did not determine and implement feasible administrative or engineering controls to  achieve compliance with the limits prescribed in 29 CFR 1910.1000(a) through (d):  Port of Morehead City:  On or about July 15, 2020, where a forklift operator engaged in the handling and loading large bags of Portland Cement was exposed to total dust (Portland Cement) above the PEL, feasible administrative or engineering controls were not determined and implemented to reduce exposure.  General methods of control applicable in these circumstances include but are not limited to the following:      (a)    Use local and general exhaust ventilation to remove dust from breathing zone of employees performing handling and loading operations.      (b)    Vacuum dust accumulation on the general flooring area after each truck load.   ABATEMENT:  Step 1:  Effective respiratory protection shall be provided and used by all employees exposed to Portland cement dust.  (Due Date 10/21/2020).  Step 2:  Submit to the Area Director a written detailed plan of abatement outlining a schedule for the implementation of engineering and/or administration measures to control employee exposure to crystalline silica as referred in this citation.  This plan shall include, at a minimum, target dates for the following actions which must be consistent with the dates required by this section:  (1) Evaluation of engineering control options;  (2) Selection of optimum control methods and completion of design;  (3) Procurement, installation and operation of selected control measures; and  (4) Testing and acceptable or modification/redesign of controls.  All proposed control measures shall be evaluated for each particular use by a competent Industrial Hygiene or other technically qualified person.  Ninety (90) day progress reports are required during the abatement period. (Due Date 11/23/2020)  Step 3:  Abatement shall have been completed by the implementation of feasible engineering and/or administrative controls upon verification of their effective in achieving compliance. (Due Date 12/21/2020).   ABATMENT DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

Issued

2020-09-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2021-08-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4048.00 · Current $2429.00 Reduced

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(Construction Reference: 1926.59):  Morehead City Port:  On or about July 15, 2020, the employer did not establish and maintain a hazard communication program that explained the hazards associated with exposure to Portland cement along with conducting training.   ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

Issued

2020-09-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-11-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(a)(1): All places of employment, passageways, storerooms, service rooms and walking-working surfaces were not kept clean, orderly and in sanitary condition:  Port of Morehead City:  On or about July 15, 2020, the employer did not ensure the warehouse area was kept in an orderly condition where excessive amounts of concrete dust accumulating onto the floor due to poor to no housekeeping thereby causing potential tripping hazards.    ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

Issued

2020-09-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2021-09-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.36(g)(2): Exit access(es) were not at least 28 inches (71.1 cm) wide at all points.  Port of Morehead City:  On or about July 8, 2020, two a designated exit doors located on both ends of a marine warehouse building were either blocked or obstructed by several large 4000 lbs bags of cement.    ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION IS REQUIRED

Issued

2020-09-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2021-09-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

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:  Port of Morehead City:  On or about July 15, 2020, the employer did not ensure that a written hazard assessment for personal protective equipment had been conducted for all employees engaged in handling and loading of numerous bags of Portland cement.   ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED