OSHA Inspection: US POLYCHEMICAL CORP

Issued

Feb 23, 2022

Abate by

May 31, 2022

Penalty

Initial $3,108 · Current $3,100 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.106(e)(2)(ii)(b):  The quantity of  flammable liquid that was located outside of an inside storage room or storage cabinet in a building or in any one fire area of a building exceeded paragraph (1) through (3) of this subsection:  a) Raw Material Drum Storage Area -   On or about 12/2/21,  Sixteen (16) - 55 gallon drums of isopropyl of 99% isopropyl alcohol (Category 2 Flammable Liquid),  sixteen (16) - 55 gallon drums of PM Acetate (Propylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether Acetate - Category 3 Flammable Liquid),  eight (8) - 55 gallon drum of Pridesol D38 (petroleum distillates - Class 3 Flammable Liquid),  one (1) - 55 gallon drum of Steol CS-460 (ethanol - Class 3 Flammable Liquid) and one (1) 55 gallon drum of Sweet Orange Type Fragrance  [(pentyl acetate, turpentine oil] - (Class 3 Flammable Liquid),  were stored outside an inside storage room;

Issued

Feb 23, 2022

Abate by

May 31, 2022

Penalty

Initial $3,108 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.106(e)(3)(iv)(a):  Emergency drainage systems were not provided to direct flammable liquid leakage and fire protection water to a safe location:  a) Indoor Raw Material Storage Tank Area:    Flammable liquid chemicals including (1) - 2000 gallon tank of DPM Glycol Ether (Class 4 - Flammable Liquid) and one (1) 1500 gallon tank of butyl cellosolve (Category 4 - Flammable Liquid) were pumped to mixing tanks and the employer did not have an emergency drainage system to control the spread of fire;  on or about 8/27/21.  b) Pumping Area near scale:   Flammable liquids chemicals (e.g., isopropyl alcohol, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate [PM acetate]) were pumped from drums to mixing tanks and finished flammable finished products (e.g., ST-21, ST-21 Plus, etc.) were pumped to intermediate bulk containers; and the employer did not have an emergency drainage system to control the spread of fire;  on or about 8/27/21.   In addition to abatement certification, the employer is required to submit abatement documentation for this item.  Failure to comply will result in additional penalty of $ 1,000.00 as per 29 CFR 1903.19

Issued

Feb 23, 2022

Abate by

Mar 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $3,108 · Current $2,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.106(e)(6)(i): Adequate precautions were not taken to prevent the ignition of flammable vapors:    a) Drum Pumping Area Near Scale:    On or about 12/13/21, approximately 50 gallons of isopropyl alcohol (Category 2 flammable) was pumped from a 55-gallon metal drum to a tank in the mixing room and the drum was not properly grounded as the storage rack being used to ground the drum was not properly grounded.   In addition to abatement certification, the employer is required to submit abatement documentation for this item.  Failure to comply will result in additional penalty of $ 1,000.00 as per 29 CFR 1903.19

Issued

Feb 23, 2022

Abate by

Apr 15, 2022

Penalty

Initial $2,486 · Current $2,000 Reduced

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):   Entire Facility:    The employer did not ensure that an employee that was permitted to operate a forklift truck to move materials including but not limited to pallets containing drums and intermediate bulk containers containing hazardous chemicals successfuly completed the training and evaluation required by the standard; on or about 12/2/21.  In addition to abatement certification, the employer is required to submit abatement documentation for this item.  Failure to comply will result in additional penalty of $ 1,000.00 as per 29 CFR 1903.19.

Issued

Feb 23, 2022

Abate by

Apr 15, 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:   Entire Facility:    The employer did not ensure that an employee that was permitted to operate a forklift truck to move materials including but not limited to pallets containing drums and intermediate bulk containers containing hazardous chemicals successfuly completed the training and evaluation required by the standard; on or about 8/27/21.  In addition to abatement certification, the employer is required to submit abatement documentation for this item.  Failure to comply will result in additional penalty of $ 1,000.00 as per 29 CFR 1903.19.

Issued

Feb 23, 2022

Abate by

May 2, 2022

Penalty

Initial $2,486 · Current $1,700 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(f)(6)(ii): Except as provided in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(7) and 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(8), the employer did not ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace was labeled, tagged or marked with the 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, would provide employees with the specific information regarding the physical and health hazards of the hazardous chemical:  a)  Storage Tank Area:    Storage Tanks containing various various hazardous chemicals including Eastman EB Solvent (2-butyl cellosolve ), DPM Glycol Ether (Dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether), monoethanolamine, were not labelled with words, pictures, symbols, or combination thereof, which provide at least general information regarding the hazards of the chemicals on or about 12/2/21.  b) Raw Material Storage Area:   Drums of Propylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether Acetate (PM Acetate) were not labelled with words, pictures, symbols, or combination thereof, which provide at least general information regarding the hazards of the chemicals on or about 12/2/21.  c)  On and Near Rack at Back of Production Area:   On or about 12/2/21, dums containing various left over finished products containing hazardous chemicals such as but not limited to monoethanolamine, etc. were not labelled with words, pictures, symbols, or combination thereof, which provide at least general information regarding the hazards of the chemicals on or about 12/2/21.  The employer is required to submit abatement certification for this item in accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19, failure to comply will result in additional penalty of $ 1,000.00.

Issued

Feb 23, 2022

Abate by

May 2, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(f)(7):   The alternative method in lieu of affixing labels to individual stationary process containers did not convey the information required by 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6)   29 CFR  1910.1200(f)(7):   The alternative method in lieu of affixing labels to individual stationary process containers did not convey the information required by 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6)   a)  Mixing Tank Room:    Batch sheets were used in lieu of affixing labels to stationary mixing tanks used to manufacture finished products containing hazardous chemical and the batch sheets did not contain information words, pictures, symbols, or combination thereof, which provide at least general information regarding the hazards of the chemicals; on or about 12/2/21.

Issued

Feb 23, 2022

Abate by

May 2, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(h)(3)(iii): Employee training did not include the measures employees can take to protect themselves from chemical hazards, including specific procedures the employer had implemented to protect employees from exposure to hazardous chemicals, such as appropriate work practices, emergency procedures and personal protective equipment to be used:    a)  Entire Facility:   Employees handled various raw material and used various hazardous chemicals and products such as but not limited to:   ST-21 (Category 2 Flammable Liquid) in 275 gallon intermediate bulk containers) and the employer did not provide training on emergency procedures for safe cleanup of inicidental spills; on or about 12/2/21.  In addition to abatement certification, the employer is required to submit abatement documentation for this item.  Failure to comply will result in additional penalty of $ 1,000.00 as per 29 CFR 1903.19

Issued

Feb 23, 2022

Abate by

Apr 29, 2022

Penalty

Initial $1,865 · Current $1,200 Reduced

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)  Mixing Room:   An employee was provided with an permitted to voluntarily use to a half-face air purifying respirator with organic vapor cartridges when handling and using hazardous chemicals and the employer did not establish and implement a  written respirator program to ensure that the employee was medically able use the respirator; on or about 12/2/21.  The employer is required to submit abatement certification for this item in accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19, failure to comply will result in additional penalty of $ 1,000.00.

Issued

Feb 23, 2022

Abate by

Apr 29, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

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, required to use the respirator in the workplace or permitted to voluntary use the respirator:  a)  Mixing Room:   An employee was provided with and permitted to voluntarily use to a half-face air purifying respirator with organic vapor cartridges when handling/using hazardous chemicals and the employer did not establish and implement a  written respirator program to ensure that the employee was medically able use the respirator; on or about 12/2/21.  The employer is required to submit abatement certification for this item in accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19, failure to comply will result in additional penalty of $ 1,000.00.

Issued

Feb 23, 2022

Abate by

Apr 29, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.146(c)(1):   The employer did not evaluate the workplace to determine if any spaces were permit-required confined spaces:  a) Indoor Storage Tank Area:    The facility had raw material in 1000-2000 gallon capacity storage tanks containing various hazardous chemicals and the employer did not evaluate if any of these spaces were permit required confined spaces; on or about 8/27/21  b) Process Tank Room:   The facility  had process tanks for making finished products containing hazardous chemicals and the employer did not evaluate if any of these spaces were permit requried confined spaces;  on or about 8/27/21.   Abatment Note:  The employer is required to submit abatement certification for this item in accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19, failure to comply will result in additional penalty of $ 1,000.00.