OSHA Inspection: BI-QEM, INC.

Issued

2023-03-20 00:00:00

Abate by

2024-01-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $15625.00 · Current $12496.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances E200

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: 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, including severe burns, to employees in that employees were exposed to fire, flash fire, deflagration, or explosion hazards from unvented dust collectors located inside a building.  On and before December 13, 2022, Employees working on and around Production Line #6 were exposed to the hazards of dust explosions, deflagrations, and other fire hazards.  The indoor location of the employer's dust collection system, which gathers combustible dust, does not have an explosion protection system.  There are multiple potential sources of ignition into the system, including sparks from tramp metal which originates from scrap starting materials getting entrained into the system, heat generated by frictional heating of parts, and static electricity discharges.

Issued

2023-03-20 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $11162.00 · Current $11162.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.28(b)(3)(i):  The employer did not ensure that each employee is protected from falling through any hole (including skylights) that is 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level by one or more of the following methods listed in 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(3)(i)(A)-(D):  Line #6 at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA :  On and before February 1, 2022, employees were not protected from tripping or stepping into a hole in the floor that leads to the lower level, a drop of approximately 9 feet, to the concrete floor below.

Issued

2023-03-20 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $13394.00 · Current $13394.00

Hazardous substances 9130

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(d)(1)(iii):The employer did not identify and evaluate the respiratory hazard(s) in the workplace, including a reasonable estimate of employee exposures to respiratory hazard(s) and an identification of the contaminant's chemical state and physical form:  At the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA:  On and before December 13, 2022, the employer had not evaluated respirable dust hazards in the workplace.  An employee performing a color change, maintenance, and other routine production tasks was exposed to an 8-hour TWA of Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated, Respirable Fraction, of 7.55 mg/m3, in excess of the 8-hour TWA permissible exposure limit of 5 mg/m3.

Issued

2023-03-20 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-05-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 9130

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.242(b):Compressed air used for cleaning purposes was not reduced to less than 30 p.s.i.:  At the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA:  On and before February 1, 2023, the employer allowed and required employees to use compressed air for cleaning purposes and the pressure was not reduced to less than 30 p.s.i..  Compressed air is used during color changes and other times to remove surface accumulation of dust from equipment and other areas.  *Abatement Notes: See Citation 1-Item 1 for prohibition on the use of compressed air for cleaning combustible dust. In instances where compressed air can be safely used, the air must be reduced to less than 30 p.s.i..  *Abatement notes are intended only to provide clarity regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies. Abatement notes do not create (or diminish) legal obligations under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Issued

2023-03-20 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-05-19 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $8929.00 · Current $8929.00

Hazardous substances 9130

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:  At the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA:  On and before February 1, 2023, the employer had not provided a medical evaluation to all employees prior to being required to use a respirator in the workplace.  The employer required that employees wear respirators, to protect from Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated, Respirable Fraction, while performing color changes, maintenance and general production activities.

Issued

2023-03-20 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-05-19 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 9130

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(f)(2):Employees using tight-fitting facepiece respirators were not fit tested prior to initial use of the respirator:  At the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA:  On and before February 1, 2023, the employer had not provided an initial fit test to employees required to use a respirator in the workplace. The employer required that employees wear N95 filtering facepiece respirators, to protect from Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated, Respirable Fraction, while performing color changes, maintenance, and other general production activities.

Issued

2023-03-20 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-05-19 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 9130

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:  At the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA:  On and before February 1, 2023, employees with facial hair that comes between the sealing surface of the facepiece and the face.  The employer required that employees wear respirators, to protect from Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated, Respirable Fraction, while performing color changes, maintenance, and general production activities.

Issued

2023-03-20 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-06-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $11162.00 · Current $11162.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(4)(i): Procedures were not developed, documented, and utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees were engaged in activities covered by this section:    At the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA:  On and before February 1, 2023, employees who performed set up and minor servicing activities on machines, including but not limited to Ball Mill #6, only activated the emergency stop buttons and did not utilize the existing energy control procedures.

Issued

2023-03-20 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-06-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(6)(i):The employer did not conduct a periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually to ensure that the procedure and the requirements of this standard were being followed:   At the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA:  On and before February 1, 2023, the employer had not performed periodic inspections of energy control procedures including, but not limited to the Ball Mill 6 machine, at least annually, to verify that the procedures were adequate and used properly by employees.  *Abatement Notes:  A periodic inspection shall include the following elements:  - Appointment of an authorized employee to inspect each unique procedure for inaccuracies during an actual energy control task  - A review by inspector with each authorized employee, of that employee's responsibilities under each energy control procedure they are authorized to use - Certification that the periodic inspections have been performed by identifying the machines or equipment on which the energy control procedures were being utilized, the dates of the inspections, the employees included in the inspections, and the persons performing the inspections  *Abatement notes are intended only to provide clarity regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies. Abatement notes do not create (or diminish) legal obligations under the Occupational Safety and Health Act

Issued

2023-03-20 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-06-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(7)(i)(A): Authorized employee(s) did not receive training in the recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and the methods and means necessary for energy isolation:   At the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA:  On and before February 1, 2023, the employer had not trained all Authorized employees on the energy control procedures they were required to use in the performance of your duties.

Issued

2023-03-20 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-08-15 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $15625.00 · Current $15625.00

Hazardous substances 9130

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1000(a)(2):Employee(s) were exposed to an airborne concentration of Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated (PNOR)-Respirable Fraction listed in Table Z-1 in excess of the 8 hour Time Weighted Average concentration of 5 mg/m3:  At the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA:  On and before December 13, 2022, an employee performing a color change, maintenance, and other routine production tasks was exposed to an 8-hour TWA of Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated, Respirable Fraction, of 7.55 mg/m3, in excess of the 8-hour TWA permissible exposure limit of 5 mg/m3.

Issued

2023-03-20 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-08-15 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 9130

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1000(e):Feasible administrative or engineering controls were not determined and implemented to achieve compliance with the limits prescribed in 29 CFR 1910.1000(a) through (d):  At the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA:  On and before December 13, 2022, an employee performing a color change, maintenance, and other routine production tasks was exposed to an 8-hour TWA of Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated, Respirable Fraction, of 7.55 mg/m3, in excess of the 8-hour TWA permissible exposure limit of 5 mg/m3.

Issued

2023-03-20 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-05-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $6696.00 · Current $6696.00

Hazardous substances 12909130

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(e)(1)(i):The employer did not compile a list of the hazardous chemicals known to be present using a product identifier that was referenced on the appropriate safety data sheet:  At the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA:  On and before February 1, 2023, the employer had not complied a list of all hazardous chemicals known to be present at the workplace.  Employees utilize a variety of hazardous chemicals which were omitted from the chemical inventory, including a formaldehyde-containing Intermediate product, urea molding compound, and Resin 791 010151LCR.

Issued

2023-03-20 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-05-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 12909130

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(g)(8):   The employer did not maintain in the workplace copies of the required safety data sheets for each hazardous chemical, and did not ensure that they were readily accessible during each work  shift to employees when they were in their work area(s)   At the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA:  On and before February 1, 2023, the employer did not ensure that Safety Data Sheets were readily accessible for each hazardous chemical used.  Safety data sheets for a formaldehyde-containing Intermediate product, urea molding compound, and Resin 791 010151LCR were not available.

Issued

2023-03-20 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-05-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $6696.00 · Current $6696.00

Hazardous substances E200

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(f)(6):  The employer did not ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace was labeled, tagged or marked with the information specified under paragraphs (f)(6)(i) through (ii) of this section:  At the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA:  On and before February 1, 2023, the employer did not ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals was labeled, tagged or marked with the identity and at least general information regarding the hazards of the chemicals contained.  In the area of Production Line #6, all equipment and bags of material, including but not limited to combustible dusts, were not labeled. The laminate starting material was labeled incorrectly with an adequate label for another material.

Issued

2023-03-20 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-05-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $55810.00 · Current $11162.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances E200

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.132(a):Protective equipment was not used when necessary whenever hazards capable of causing injury and impairment were encountered:  At the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA:  On and before February 1, 2023, production employees did not wear easily removable flame-retardant and non-static-generating clothing in areas where combustible dust was present.  Employees are exposed to combustible dust flash fire hazards while working on production lines, cleaning equipment, emptying the central vacuum, and replacing bags in dust collecting equipment.   Bi-Qem, Inc. was previously cited for a violation of this Occupational Safety and Health Standard, 1910.132(a), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1576814, citation number 1, item number 1 and was affirmed as a final order on August 22, 2022, with respect to a workplace located at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA.

Issued

2023-03-20 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2232.00 · Current $2232.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1904.32(a)(4):The employer did not post an OSHA 300A Form or equivalent by February 1 thru April 30:  At the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA:  On February 1, 2023, the employer did not post an OSHA 300a Form by February 1.

Issued

2023-03-20 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-05-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $446.00 · Current $446.00

Hazardous substances 9130

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(m)(1):Records of medical evaluations required by 29 CFR 1910.134 were not retained and made available in accordance with 1910.1020:  At the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA:  On and before February 1, 2023, the employer had not retained records of medical evaluations required by 29 CFR 1910.134.  Employees were required to wear respirators to protect from Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated, Respirable Fraction, while performing color changes, maintenance and general production activities.  Bi-Qem, Inc. was previously cited for a violation of this Occupational Safety and Health Standard, 1910.132(a), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1576814, citation number 3, item number 4 and was affirmed as a final order on August 22, 2022, with respect to a workplace located at 238 Nonotuck Street, Florence, MA.