OSHA Inspection: ARMOROCK, LLC

Issued

Jun 30, 2022

Abate by

Jul 27, 2022

Penalty

Initial $9,324 · Current $7,250 Reduced

Hazardous substances 22809000

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 or required to use the respirator in the workplace:  (a) On or about January 13, 2022, and times prior thereto the employer did not provide a medical evaluation for employee(s) who were required to wear a half mask negative pressure respirator. Employee(s) used this respirator for protection against respirable crystalline silica dust and styrene vapors.

Issued

Jun 30, 2022

Abate by

Jul 27, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 22809000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(2): Employee(s) using tight-fitting facepiece respirators were not fit tested prior to initial use of the respirator:  (a) On or about January 13, 2022, and times prior thereto, the employer did not provide a fit test for employee(s) who were required to wear a half mask negative pressure respirator. Employee(s) used this respirator for protection against respirable crystalline silica dust and styrene vapors.

Issued

Jun 30, 2022

Abate by

Jul 27, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 22809000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(g)(1)(i)(A): Respirators with tight-fitting facepieces were worn by employees who had facial hair that came between the sealing surface of the facepiece and the face or that interfered with valve function:   (a) On or about January 6, 2022, in the Production Area , employees were using a respirator, such as but not limited to, a 3M half mask negative pressure respirator.  Employee(s) used this respirator for protection against respirable crystalline silica dust and styrene vapors.

Issued

Jun 30, 2022

Abate by

Jul 27, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 22809000

General-duty citation text

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) On or about January 6, 2022, and times prior thereto; the employer did not store and protect a 3M half facepiece tight fitting respirator(s). Employees used this respirator for protection against respirable silica dust and styrene vapors.

Issued

Jun 30, 2022

Abate by

Jul 27, 2022

Penalty

Initial $7,458 · Current $7,250 Reduced

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) On or about January 6, 2022, in the continuous process unit #1,  employees were working with corrosive chemicals including but not limited to: Interplastic green colorant, Ineos phenol acetone, Norox MEKP-9H, Syrgis Norox CHP;   (b) On or about January 6, 2022, in the continuous process unit #1,  employees were working with corrosive chemicals including but not limited to: Interplastic green colorant, Ineos phenol acetone, Norox MEKP-9H, Syrgis Norox CHP.

Issued

Jun 30, 2022

Abate by

Jul 27, 2022

Penalty

Initial $13,052 · Current $7,250 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1053(e)(1): The employer did not establish a regulated area wherever an employee's exposure to airborne concentrations of respirable crystalline silica was, or could have been reasonably expected to be, in excess of the PEL:   (a) On or about January 13, 2022, and times prior thereto; the employer did not establish a regulated area for employee(s) exposed to airborne concentrations of respirable crystalline silica above the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL). Personal air monitoring conducted at the workplace showed that employee(s) were exposed to airborne concentrations of 87.9 micrograms per cubic meter of air, 116 micrograms per cubic meter of air, 570.6 micrograms per cubic meter of air, which exceeded the PEL of 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air by 1.75, 2.32, 11.4 times respectively. This limit is established to prevent silicosis and lung cancer. Employee(s) were assigned duties such as but not limited to grinding, sawing, and cutting concrete structures and rock crushing and pouring concrete aggregate into hopper activities.

Issued

Jun 30, 2022

Abate by

Jul 27, 2022

Penalty

Initial $13,052 · Current $7,250 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3)(i)(B)(1): The employer did not select a respirator for employee use that maintained the employee's exposure to the hazardous substance, when measured outside the respirator, at or below the maximum use concentration:  (a) On or about January 13, 2022, and times prior thereto;  the employer did not select a respirator for an employee performing material pouring in hoppers that maintained the employee exposure at or below the maximum usage concentration (MUC). The employer required the employee to wear a half mask negative pressure respirators. Personal air monitoring indicated that the employee was exposed to airborne respirable crystalline silica concentrations of 570.6 micrograms per cubic meter of air which exceeded the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air by approximately 11.4 times. This limit is established to prevent silicosis and lung cancer. Half mask negative pressure respirators are assigned a protection factor of 10. The airborne concentration of respirable crystalline silica exceeded the maximum use concentration for the respirator 1.14 times.

Issued

Jun 30, 2022

Abate by

Jul 27, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1053(g)(1): Where respiratory protection was required by this section, the employer did not provide each employee an appropriate respirator that complied with the requirements of this paragraph and 29 CFR 1910.134:  (a) On or about January 13, 2022, and times prior thereto;  the employer did not select a respirator for an employee performing material pouring in hoppers that maintained the employee exposure at or below the maximum usage concentration (MUC). The employer required the employee to wear a half mask negative pressure respirators. Personal air monitoring indicated that the employee was exposed to airborne respirable crystalline silica concentrations of 570.6 micrograms per cubic meter of air which exceeded the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air by approximately 11.4 times. This limit is established to prevent silicosis and lung cancer. Half mask negative pressure respirators are assigned a protection factor of 10. The airborne concentration of respirable crystalline silica exceeded the maximum use concentration for the respirator 1.14 times.

Issued

Jun 30, 2022

Abate by

Dec 28, 2022

Penalty

Initial $13,052 · Current $7,250 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1053(f)(1): The employer did not use engineering and work practice controls to reduce and maintain employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica to or below the PEL, unless the employer can demonstrate that such controls are not feasible:  (a) On or about January 13, 2022, and times prior thereto, a material handler employee was pouring concrete aggregate materials and was exposed to respirable crystalline silica at an eight-hour time-weighted average of 87.9 micrograms per cubic meter of air, approximately 1.75 times 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air. This limit is established to prevent silicosis and lung cancer. Sampling was performed for 449 minutes. Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled time of 31 minutes;   (b) On or about January 13, 2022, and times prior thereto, a material handler employee was pouring concrete aggregate materials and exposed to respirable crystalline silica at an eight-hour time-weighted average of 570.6 micrograms per cubic meter of air, approximately 11.4 times 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air. This limit is established to prevent silicosis and lung cancer. Sampling was performed for 428 minutes. Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled time of 52 minutes;  (c) On or about January 13, 2022, and times prior thereto,  a finisher employee was performing hand grinding operations and was exposed to respirable crystalline silica at an eight-hour time-weighted average of 116 micrograms per cubic meter of air, approximately 2.32 times 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air. This limit is established to prevent silicosis and lung cancer. Sampling was performed for 464 minutes. Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled time of 16 minutes.

Issued

Jun 30, 2022

Abate by

Jul 27, 2022

Penalty

Initial $13,052 · Current $7,250 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1053(i)(1)(i): The employer did not make medical surveillance available at no cost to each employee, and at a reasonable time and place, for each employee who has been occupationally exposed to respirable crystalline silica at or above the action level for 30 or more days per year:   (a) On or about January 13, 2022, and times prior thereto;  the employer did not institute a medical surveillance program for all employee(s) who were exposed respirable crystalline silica at or above the action level for 30 days per year. Personal air monitoring indicated that four employees were exposed to airborne respirable crystalline silica concentrations which exceeded the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL).This limit is established to prevent silicosis and lung cancer. Employees were assigned duties such as but not limited to operating  portable hand grinders and performing rock crushing and pouring concrete aggregate into hopper activities.

Issued

Jun 30, 2022

Abate by

Jul 27, 2022

Penalty

Initial $9,324 · Current $7,250 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

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) On or about January 13, 2022, and times prior thereto, the employer did not assure that employee(s) with airborne exposures to respirable crystalline silica in excess of the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) received trained in accordance to the requirements listed in sections 1910.1053(j)(3)(i)(A) -(E). Employees were assigned duties such as but not limited to operating hand grinders and pouring industrial sand into hopper operations.

Issued

Jun 30, 2022

Abate by

Dec 28, 2022

Penalty

Initial $130,524 · Current $85,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

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) On or about January 13, 2022, and times prior thereto, a material handler employee was pouring concrete aggregate materials and was exposed to respirable crystalline silica at an eight-hour time-weighted average of 87.9 micrograms per cubic meter of air, approximately 1.75 times 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air. This limit is established to prevent silicosis and lung cancer. Sampling was performed for 449 minutes. Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled time of 31 minutes;   (b) On or about January 13, 2022, and times prior thereto, a material handler employee was pouring concrete aggregate materials and exposed to respirable crystalline silica at an eight-hour time-weighted average of 570.6 micrograms per cubic meter of air, approximately 11.4 times 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air. This limit is established to prevent silicosis and lung cancer. Sampling was performed for 428 minutes. Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled time of 52 minutes;  (c) On or about January 13, 2022, and times prior thereto,  a finisher employee was performing hand grinding operations and was exposed to respirable crystalline silica at an eight-hour time-weighted average of 116 micrograms per cubic meter of air, approximately 2.32 times 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air. This limit is established to prevent silicosis and lung cancer. Sampling was performed for 464 minutes. Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled time of 16 minutes.