OSHA Inspection: ISLAND GRANITE, LLC

Issued

Jun 4, 2021

Abate by

Jun 16, 2021

Penalty

Initial $3,121 · Current $1,850 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees:   a) Production areas; On or about January 21, 2021 and at times prior to the employer exposed employees to struck- by hazards in that the employer required that employees use a forklift to hoist and move large pieces of granite with a hoist attachment.

Issued

Jun 4, 2021

Abate by

Jun 16, 2021

Penalty

Initial $3,121 · Current $1,850 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.242(a): Hand and portable powered tools or equipment were not kept in safe condition:  a) Production area; On or about January 21, 2021 and at times prior to the employer exposed employees to laceration hazards in that the employer allowed the use of a hand grinder with an metal blade to be used to cut off smaller pieces of granite from the larger slabs without the guard in place.  b) Production area, backsplash; On or about January 21, 2021 the employer exposed employees to electrical hazards in that the employer allowed the use of hand tools such as buffers and grinders without first ensuring that the cords were not damaged before use.

Issued

Jun 4, 2021

Abate by

Jun 16, 2021

Penalty

Initial $3,121 · Current $1,850 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1053(c): The employer did not ensure that no employee was exposed to an airborne concentration of respirable crystalline silica in excess of 50 ug/m3, calculated as an 8-hour TWA:  a) Fabrication area, employee #1; On February 19, 2021 and at times prior to the employer exposed employees to an 8 hour calculated Time Weighted Average (TWA) of 120 micrograms per cubic meter of air which is 2.4 times the calculated 8 hour time weight average Permissible Exposure Level (PEL) of 50.0 micrograms per cubic meter of air while prepping granite countertops for installation.  Results were calculated based on the 480 minute sampling period.    b) Fabrication area, employee #2; On February 19, 2021 and at times prior to the employer exposed employees to an 8 hour calculated Time Weighted Average (TWA) of 110 micrograms per cubic meter of air which is 2.2 times the calculated 8 hour time weight average Permissible Exposure Level (PEL) of 50.0 micrograms per cubic meter of air while prepping granite countertops for installation. Results were calculated based on the 480 minute sampling period.

Issued

Jun 4, 2021

Abate by

Jun 16, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(f)(2)(i): The employer did not establish and implement a written exposure control plan:   a) Fabrication area; On or about January 7, 2021 and at times prior to the employer exposed employees to hazards associated with respirable crystalline silica in that the employer did not develop or implement a written exposure control plan to limit employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica.

Issued

Jun 4, 2021

Abate by

Jun 16, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(g)(2): Where respirator use was required by this section, the employer did not institute a respiratory protection program in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.134:   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) Fabrication area; On or about January 21, 2021 and at times prior to the employer exposed employees to respiratory hazards in that the employer required the use of tight fitting elastomeric respirators by fabrication employees without first developing and implementing a written respirator program.

Issued

Jun 4, 2021

Abate by

Jun 16, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(g)(2): Where respirator use was required by this section, the employer did not institute a respiratory protection program in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.134:   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:   a) Fabrication area; On or about January 21, 2021 and at times prior to the employer exposed employees to respiratory hazards in that the employer required the use of tight fitting elastomeric respirators by fabrication employees without first providing a medical evaluation to determine if an employee was able to wear a respirator or not.

Issued

Jun 4, 2021

Abate by

Jun 16, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(g)(2): Where respirator use was required by this section, the employer did not institute a respiratory protection program in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.134:   29 CFR  1910.134(f)(1): The employer did not ensure that employee(s) required to use a tight-fitting facepiece respirator passed the appropriate qualitative fit test (QLFT) or quantitative fit test (QNFT):  a) Fabrication area; On or about January 21, 2021 and at times prior to the employer exposed employees to respiratory hazards in that the employer required the use of tight fitting elastomeric respirators by fabrication employees without first fit testing the employees to ensure appropriate size of the respirator.

Issued

Jun 4, 2021

Abate by

Jun 16, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(g)(2): Where respirator use was required by this section, the employer did not institute a respiratory protection program in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.134:   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:  a) Fabrication area; On or about January 21, 2021 and at times prior to the employer exposed employees to respiratory hazards in that the employer required the use of tight fitting elastomeric respirators by fabrication employees without enforcing the proper storage of respirators so they don't become contaminated with the dust in the area.

Issued

Jun 4, 2021

Abate by

Jun 16, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(i)(2): The employer did not make available an initial (baseline) medical examination within 30 days after initial assignment when the employee had not received a medical examination that meets the requirements of this section within the last three years:   a) Fabrication area; On or about January 7, 2021 and at times prior to the employer exposed employees to hazards associated with respirable crystalline silica in that the employer did not make available medical examinations to determine baseline exposure to employees that would be potentially exposed to respirable crystalline silica.

Issued

Jun 4, 2021

Abate by

Jun 16, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(j)(1): The employer did not include respirable crystalline silica in the program established to comply with the hazard communication standard (HCS) (29 CFR 1910.1200):     a) Fabrication area; On or about January 7, 2021 and at times prior to the employer exposed employees to hazards associated with respirable crystalline silica in that the employer did not establish a haz-com program to include a section on respirable crystalline silica.

Issued

Jun 4, 2021

Abate by

Jun 16, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(j)(2): The employer did not post signs at all entrances to regulated areas that bear the following legend:  DANGER                                                                                RESPIRABLE CRYSTALLINE SILICA  MAY CAUSE CANCER  CAUSES DAMAGE TO LUNGS  WEAR RESPIRATORY PROTECTION IN THIS AREA  AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY   a) Fabrication area; On or about January 7, 2021 and at times prior to the employer exposed employees to hazards associated with respirable crystalline silica in that the employer did not post signage at the entrances of the fabrication area where respirable crystalline silica was present to warn of the hazards present.

Issued

Jun 4, 2021

Abate by

Jun 16, 2021

Penalty

Initial $2,340 · Current $1,458 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(e)(1):Employer had not developed or implemented a written hazard communication program included the requirements outlined in 29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1)(i) and (e)(1)(ii):   a) Fabrication area; On or about January 21, 2021 and at times prior to the employer exposed employees to hazards associated with chemicals in that the employer required that employees work with and around chemicals such as acetone, epoxy and silica without first developing and implementing a written hazard communication program.

Issued

Jun 4, 2021

Abate by

Jun 16, 2021

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:  a) Fabrication area; On or about January 21, 2021 and at times prior to the employer exposed employees to hazards associated with chemicals in that the employer required that employees work with and around chemicals such as acetone, epoxy and silica without first certifying that employees had been trained on the hazards associated with those chemicals.

Issued

Jun 4, 2021

Abate by

Jun 16, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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) Production areas; On or about January 21, 2021 and at times prior to the employer exposed employees to struck- by hazards in that the employer required that employees use a forklift to hoist and move large pieces of granite by the way of a hoist attachment without ensuring that the forklift was marked on the label plates to reflect the changes in weight and operation.

Issued

Jun 4, 2021

Abate by

Jun 16, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.178(l)(4)(iii): An evaluation of each powered industrial truck operator's performance was not being conducted at least once every three years:   a) Production areas; On or about January 21, 2021 and at times prior to the employer exposed employees to struck- by hazards in that the employer required that employees use a forklift to hoist and move large pieces of granite without evaluating that the operators were competent to operate the forklift in a safe manner every three years.