OSHA Inspection: FUCHS LUBRICANTS CO.

Issued

Jan 14, 2022

Abate by

Feb 10, 2022

Penalty

Initial $9,753 · Current $6,750 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1366M102M104

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.22(a)(1): The employer did not ensure that all places of employment, passageways, storerooms, service rooms, and walking-working surfaces were kept in a clean, orderly, and sanitary condition.  a) Lubrodal line, ball mill room - On or about July 26, 2021, August 18, 2021, and January 6, 2022, the employer did not ensure that floors and elevated non-floor surfaces were maintained in a clean and orderly condition. Graphite powder was allowed to accumulate on equipment, floors, and overhead pipes exposing employees to potential fire, deflagration, and explosion hazards.

Issued

Jan 14, 2022

Abate by

Feb 10, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1366

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(d)(1): The employer did not ensure that walking-working surfaces are inspected, regularly and as necessary, and maintained in a safe condition:   a) Lubrodal line, ball mill room - On or about July 26, 2021, and August 18, 2021, the  employer did not ensure that walking-working surfaces at both floor and mezzanine levels were maintained in a safe manner free of graphite powder. Employees assigned to complete tasks within were thereby exposed to hazards associated with slips and falls.

Issued

Jan 14, 2022

Abate by

Mar 4, 2022

Penalty

Initial $9,753 · Current $6,750 Reduced

Hazardous substances 81108111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.95(g)(6): At least annually after obtaining the baseline audiogram, the employer did not obtain a new audiogram for each employee exposed at or above an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels.   a) Lubrodal line - The employer did not ensure that all employees exposed to noise at or above an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 85 dBA received a new audiogram annually.  On or about August 18, 2021, an employee performing the tasks of a Lubrodal Operator II was exposed to continuous noise levels of 178.2% of the allowable permissible exposure limit 8-hour TWA sound level of 90 dBA. The equivalent dBA level of 178.2% is approximately 94.2 dBA.  The sampling was performed for 436 minutes and zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of time, 44 minutes.   This employee's last audiogram was February 12, 2019.

Issued

Jan 14, 2022

Abate by

Mar 4, 2022

Penalty

Initial $7,802 · Current $4,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0170

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(f)(2): Employee(s) using a tight-fitting facepiece respirator were not annually fit tested:  a) Lubrodal line - On or about November 15, 2021, the employer did not ensure that all employees required to wear tight-fitting respirators, including MSA Advantage 200LS half-face negative pressure air-purifying respirators were fit-tested for that respirator within the previous 12 months, thereby exposing employees to negative health effects associated with ammonia gas inhalation.

Issued

Jan 14, 2022

Penalty

Initial $9,753 · Current $6,750 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0170

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) Lubrodal line, finishing mezzanine - On or about July 26, 2021, employees required to perform ammonia dosing were not provided with suitable facilities for drenching or flushing the eyes and body. Employees were exposed to corrosive chemicals including, but not limited to, Tanner Industries, Inc. Ammonia Hydroxide.

Issued

Jan 14, 2022

Abate by

Jan 31, 2022

Penalty

Initial $9,753 · Current $6,750 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.178(l)(2)(ii): The employer did not ensure that each operator had successfully completed the training consisting of a combination of formal instruction (e.g., lecture, discussion, interactive computer learning, video tape, written material), practical training (demonstrations performed by the trainer and practical exercises performed by the trainee), and evaluation of the operator's performance in the workplace.  a) Lubrodal line - On or about August 18, 2021, the employer did not verify that a new employee was trained to operate powered industrial trucks by a previous employer nor did the employer provide the employee formal instruction on operating powered industrial trucks prior to being permitted to operate a powered industrial truck, including a Caterpillar C5000 LPG counterbalanced forklift (Fuchs Lubricants Co. ID FKL-208), thereby exposing employees to struck-by hazards.

Issued

Jan 14, 2022

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) Lubrodal line - On or about July 26, 2021, the employer did not ensure, at minimum every three years, that all employee(s) who operate forklifts were evaluated and certified to perform the tasks in a safe manner, thereby exposing employees to struck-by hazards.

Issued

Jan 14, 2022

Abate by

Jan 31, 2022

Penalty

Initial $1,095 · Current $1,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 01701366

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(k)(6): The employer did not provide the basic advisory information on respirators, as presented in Appendix D of 29 CFR 1910.134, in written or oral format to employees who wear respirators when such use was not required by the employer:  a) Lubrodal line - On or about August 18, 2021, an employee loading the ball mill was provided a tight-fitting Moldex 2300N95 filtering facepiece respirator for voluntary use. The employer failed to provide information contained in 29 CFR 1910.134, Appendix D ("Information for Employees Using Respirators When Not Required Under the Standard"), thus exposing the employee to health hazards related to respirator misuse.

Issued

Jan 14, 2022

Abate by

Jan 31, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9135M102M104

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(h)(3)(ii): Employee training did not include the physical and health hazards of the chemicals in the work area:  a) Lubrodal line - On or about July 26, 2021, the employer did not ensure that affected employees were trained in combustible dust hazards.  Employees were exposed to combustible dusts contained in Asbury Carbons Synthetic Graphite 99% + Carbon (Grade 4012) and Asbury Carbons Synthetic Graphite 99% + Carbon (Grade 4827) when performing duties in the ball mill room. Finely divided graphite dust collected from overhead pipes within the Lubrodal ball mill room had a measured Kst value of 8.878 bar-m/sec, indicating that it was explosive.