OSHA Inspection: MARINE TECHNOLOGY INC

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Abate by

Jul 20, 2021

Penalty

Initial $7,022 · Current $3,509 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.28(b)(11)(ii):  Each flight of stairs having at least 3 treads and at least 4 risers is equipped with stair rail systems and handrails (See Table D-2 of this section):  At a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153; a set of portable stairs having 4 treads and 5 risers was less than 44 inches wide, was open on one side, and was not equipped with one stair rail system with a handrail on the open side.

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Abate by

Jul 20, 2021

Penalty

Initial $8,778 · Current $4,389 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.106(e)(2)(iv)(a):  Category 1 or 2 flammable liquids, or Category 3 flammable liquids with a flashpoint below 100 °F (37.8 °C), shall be kept in covered containers when not actually in use:  At a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153; a metal flammable can used for acetone was not covered when not in use. The pour spout of the flammable container was blocked with a rag when the container was not in use.

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Abate by

Nov 30, 2021

Penalty

Initial $8,778 · Current $4,389 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(a)(2):  A respirator shall be provided to each employee when such equipment is necessary to protect the health of such employee. The employer shall provide the respirators which are applicable and suitable for the purpose intended. The employer shall be responsible for the establishment and maintenance of a respiratory protection program, which shall include the requirements outlined in paragraph (c) of this section. The program shall cover each employee required by this section to use a respirator:  On April 1, 2021 at a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153; the employer did not provide a respirator to each employee when such equipment was necessary to protect the health of such employee. Two (2) Finisher employees and two (2) Small Parts Finisher employees working at the east end of the facility were overexposed to the total dust fraction of particulate not otherwise regulated (PNOR), which exceeded the 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 15 mg/m^3, and were not provided and required to wear respirators.

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Abate by

Nov 30, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(a)(2):  An employee's exposure to any substance in Table Z-1, the exposure limit of which is not preceded by a "C", shall not exceed the 8-hour Time Weighted Average given for that substance any 8-hour work shift of a 40-hour work week:   a)  On April 2, 2021, a Small Parts Finisher employee was exposed to an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of 16.6 mg/m^3 for total dust fraction of particulate not otherwise regulated (PNOR), approximately 1.1 times the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 15 mg/m^3. The exposure level was derived from a sample collected over a 478 minute sampling period with zero exposure assumed for the unsampled period of 2 minutes.  b)  On  April 2, 2021, a Small Parts Finisher employee was exposed to an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of 19.7 mg/m^3 for the total dust fraction of PNOR, approximately 1.3 times the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 15 mg/m^3. The exposure level was derived from a sample collected over a 468 minute sampling period with zero exposure assumed for the unsampled period of 12 minutes.  c)  On April 2, 2021, a Finisher employee was exposed to an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of 16.9 mg/m^3 for the total dust fraction of PNOR, approximately 1.1 times the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 15 mg/m^3. The exposure level was derived from a sample collected over a 488 minute sampling period with zero exposure assumed for the unsampled period of 0 minutes.  d)  On April 2, 2021, a Finisher employee was exposed to an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of 16.8 mg/m^3 for the total dust fraction of PNOR, approximately 1.1 times the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 15 mg/m^3. The exposure level was derived from a sample collected over a 488 minute sampling period with zero exposure assumed for the unsampled period of 0 minutes.

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Abate by

Nov 30, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(e):  To achieve compliance with paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, administrative or engineering controls must first be determined and implemented whenever feasible. When such controls are not feasible to achieve full compliance, protective equipment or any other protective measures shall be used to keep the exposure of employees to air contaminants within the limits prescribed in this section. Any equipment and/or technical measures used for this purpose must be approved for each particular use by a competent industrial hygienist or other technically qualified person. Whenever respirators are used, their use shall comply with 1910.134:   At a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153;  the employer did not determine and implement feasible administrative or engineering controls to achieve compliance with paragraph (a) of this section:   a)  On April 2, 2021, a Small Parts Finisher employee was exposed to an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of 16.6 mg/m^3 for total dust fraction of particulate not otherwise regulated (PNOR), approximately 1.1 times the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 15 mg/m^3. The exposure level was derived from a sample collected over a 478 minute sampling period with zero exposure assumed for the unsampled period of 2 minutes.  b)  On  April 2, 2021, a Small Parts Finisher employee was exposed to an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of 19.7 mg/m^3 for the total dust fraction of PNOR, approximately 1.3 times the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 15 mg/m^3. The exposure level was derived from a sample collected over a 468 minute sampling period with zero exposure assumed for the unsampled period of 12 minutes.  c)  On April 2, 2021, a Finisher employee was exposed to an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of 16.9 mg/m^3 for the total dust fraction of PNOR, approximately 1.1 times the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 15 mg/m^3. The exposure level was derived from a sample collected over a 488 minute sampling period with zero exposure assumed for the unsampled period of 0 minutes.  d)  On April 2, 2021, a Finisher employee was exposed to an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of 16.8 mg/m^3 for the total dust fraction of PNOR, approximately 1.1 times the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 15 mg/m^3. The exposure level was derived from a sample collected over a 488 minute sampling period with zero exposure assumed for the unsampled period of 0 minutes.  Applicable engineering or administrative controls may include, but are not limited to the following:  1)  Conduct thorough air studies in the Finisher and Small Parts Finisher areas to verify PNOR sources, existing controls, employee proximity to sources and job tasks which expose employees in order to determine the most effective engineering and administrative controls.  2)  Implement the use of vacuum assisted sanding equipment in order to capture the majority of dust at point of generation. Supplement vacuum assisted sanding equipment with local exhaust dust collection in the form of dust collectors (large fixed systems or small portable systems) utilizing flexible ducting that can be relocated near the point of generation. Utilize the dust collection system to capture dust in tasks where vacuum assisted sanding equipment is ineffective or unusable.  3)  Supplement  local exhaust ventilation methods (number 2 above) with increased general dilution ventilation. Increase air changes with proper air filtering to remove dust that escapes the local exhaust ventilation controls from the work areas. This can be achieved through improving the HVAC system and/or installing additional dust collection equipment.

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Penalty

Initial $10,533 · Current $5,266 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1):  In any workplace where respirators are necessary to protect the health of the employee or whenever respirators are required by the employer, the employer shall establish and implement a written respiratory protection program with worksite-specific procedures. The program shall be updated as necessary to reflect those changes in workplace conditions that affect respirator use:  At a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153; the employer did not establish and implement a written respiratory protection program when employees were overexposed to particulate not otherwise regulated (PNOR) exceeding the 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 15 mg/m^3.  All provisions of 29 CFR 1910.134(c) through (m) must be contained in a written respiratory protection program. Key provision include, but are not limited to the following:  1)  Medical evaluations for respirator use 2)  Fit testing 3)  Information/training on maintenance, use and care 4)  Respirator selection 5)  Recordkeeping

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(2)(ii):  The employer must establish and implement those elements of a written respiratory protection program necessary to ensure that any employee using a respirator voluntarily is medically able to use that respirator, and that the respirator is cleaned, stored, and maintained so that its use does not present a health hazard to the user. Exception: Employers are not required to include in a written respiratory protection program those employees whose only use of respirators involves the voluntary use of filtering facepieces (dust masks):  At a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153; the employer did not establish and implement a written respiratory protection program for employees provided with voluntary use respirators. Employees working in the Finishing and Small Parts Finishing areas were provided with 3M half-face tight-fitting elastomeric respirators with particulate filters for voluntary use.  A voluntary use respiratory protection program must contain in a written respiratory protection program. Key provision include, but are not limited to the following:  1)  Medical evaluations for respirator use 2)  Information/training on maintenance, use and care 3)  Recordkeeping

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Abate by

Jul 20, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1):  The employer shall provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee is fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace. The employer may discontinue an employee's medical evaluations when the employee is no longer required to use a respirator:  At a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153; the employer did not provide Finishing and Small Parts Finishing employees with medical evaluations to determine their ability to use respirators the employer provided 3M tight-fitting half-face elastomeric respirators.

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Abate by

Aug 2, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(1):  The employer shall ensure that employees using a tight-fitting facepiece respirator pass an appropriate qualitative fit test (QLFT) or quantitative fit test (QNFT):   At a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153; the employer did not ensure the Finisher and Small Parts Finisher employees passed an appropriate fist test (QLFT nor QNFT) when the employees were provided 3M half-face tight-fitting elastomeric respirators and the employees were overexposed to particulate not otherwise regulated (PNOR) exceeding the permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 15 mg/m^3.

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k):  This paragraph requires the employer to provide effective training to employees who are required to use respirators. The training must be comprehensive, understandable, and recur annually, and more often if necessary. This paragraph also requires the employer to provide the basic information on respirators in Appendix D of this section to employees who wear respirators when not required by this section or by the employer to do so:   At a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153; the employer did not provide effective information and training  on respirators or a respiratory protection program when:  a)  Employees were overexposed to particulate not otherwise regulated (PNOR) in the Finishing and Small Parts Finishing areas and would be required to wear respirators.  b) Employees were provided respirators for voluntary use  in the Finishing, Small Parts Finishing and Lamination areas and were not provide the basic information on respirators in Appendix D of this section.

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Abate by

Jul 20, 2021

Penalty

Initial $8,778 · Current $4,389 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(a)(4):  Modifications and additions which affect capacity and safe operation shall not be performed by the customer or user without manufacturers prior written approval. Capacity, operation, and maintenance instruction plates, tags, or decals shall be changed accordingly:  At a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153; the employer utilized additions which affected capacity and safe operation of forklifts without manufacturer's prior written approval. A Yale forklift (M# GLC050LXNVAE087, S# A967V02140L) utilized:  a)  An in-house fabricated ram for pushing garbage in the outdoor dumpster.  b)  Manufactured fork extensions to lift large pallets.

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Abate by

Jul 20, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(a)(5):  If the truck is equipped with front-end attachments other than factory installed attachments, the user shall 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:  At a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153; the employer did not request that the Yale forklift (M# GLC050LXNVAE087, S# A967V02140L) be marked to identify front-end attachments and show the approximate weight of the truck and attachment combination at maximum elevation with load laterally centered when the forklift utilized:  a)  An in-house fabricated ram for pushing garbage in the outdoor dumpster.  b)  Manufactured fork extensions to lift large pallets.

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Penalty

Initial $8,778 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(6):  The employer shall certify that each operator has been trained and evaluated as required by this paragraph (l). The certification shall include the name of the operator, the date of the training, the date of the evaluation, and the identity of the person(s) performing the training or evaluation:   At a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153; the employer did not certify that each operator of the Yale forklift (M# GLC050LXNVAE087, S# A967V02140L) has been trained and evaluated as required by this paragraph (l).

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Abate by

Jul 20, 2021

Penalty

Initial $10,533 · Current $5,266 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(b)(2):  Listed or labeled equipment shall be installed and used in accordance with any instructions included in the listing or labeling:  At a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153;  a)  Triple tap extension cords in the Small Parts Finishing and Lamination areas were not used in accordance with instructions included in the listing or labeling of the equipment. The triple tap extension cords were "daisy chained" and connected multiple extension cords which were used to power handheld power tools (such as, but not limited to sanders, angle grinders and lighting).  b)  Extension cords and relocatable power taps (RPTs or power strips) in the Lamination area were not used in accordance with instructions included in the listing or labeling of the equipment. A metal cabinet was used to hold multiple battery charging stations which were plugged into multiple extension cords and power strips which were "daisy chained" and connected to power through extension cords.

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Abate by

Jul 20, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(g)(1)(iv)(C):  Unless specifically permitted otherwise in paragraph (g)(1)(ii) of this section, flexible cords and cables may not be used where run through doorways, windows, or similar openings:   At a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153; a flexible cord (extension cord) was used to rough through the window (or similar opening) of an indoor storage shed. The extension cord was used to power the lights inside the storage shed.

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Abate by

Jul 20, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.334(a)(2)(ii):  If there is a defect or evidence of damage that might expose an employee to injury, the defective or damaged item shall be removed from service, and no employee may use it until repairs and tests necessary to render the equipment safe have been made:   At a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153; extension cords used in the Small Parts Finishing and Lamination areas were not removed from service when evidence of damage was present and could have exposed employees to electrical shock injuries.

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Penalty

Initial $12,288 · Current $12,288

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1):  Employers shall develop, implement, and maintain at each workplace, a written hazard communication program which at least describes how the criteria specified in paragraphs (f), (g), and (h) of this section for labels and other forms of warning, safety data sheets, and employee information and training will be met:  At a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153; the employer did not implement and maintain a written hazard communication program when employees worked with hazardous chemicals such as, but not limited to fiberglass, resins, hardeners, primers, solvents, and putty/fillers.  All provisions of 29 CFR 1910.1200(e) through (h) must be contained in a written hazard communication program. Key provision include but are not limited to the following:  1)  List of hazards chemicals 2)  Complete collection of SDS 3)  Labeling of containers 4)  Employee information and training

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Abate by

Jul 20, 2021

Penalty

Initial $12,288 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6)(ii):  The employer shall ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace is labeled, tagged or marked with 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, will provide employees with the specific information regarding the physical and health hazards of the hazardous chemical:   At a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153; the employer did not ensure each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace was labeled, tagged or marked with the product identifier or any information regarding the hazards of the chemicals. Unlabeled containers included, but were not limited to:  a parts washer containing Super 16 Paint Gun Cleaner, multiple small buckets used for mixing PRO-SET resin parts, a 5 gallon bucket of red polyester finish blend, and a metal can for flammables which contained acetone.

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Abate by

Jul 20, 2021

Penalty

Initial $12,288 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(1):  Employers shall have a safety data sheet in the workplace for each hazardous chemical which they use:   At a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153; the employer did not have a safety data sheet (SDS) in the workplace for each hazardous chemical they used. The employer had a collection of MSDS, but did not have any SDS for hazardous chemicals used by employees such as, but not limited to fiberglass, resins, hardeners, primers, solvents, and putty/fillers.

Issued

Jun 10, 2021

Penalty

Initial $12,288 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1):  Employers shall provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment, and whenever a new chemical hazard the employees have not previously been trained about is introduced into their work area. Information and training may be designed to cover categories of hazards (e.g., flammability, carcinogenicity) or specific chemicals. Chemical-specific information must always be available through labels and safety data sheets:  At a facility located at 206 Charles Street, Oconto, WI 54153; the employer did not provide employees with effective information and training to employees on hazardous chemicals in their work areas. Employees were not informed or trained on the categories of hazards or specific chemicals. Employees were not trained on the location or use of safety data sheets (SDS).  Employees were not trained on the information that must always be available through labels and safety data sheets. Employees worked with hazardous chemicals such as, but not limited to fiberglass, resins, hardeners, primers, solvents, and putty/fillers.