OSHA Inspection: SOFIDEL AMERICA CORP

Issued

Mar 29, 2023

Abate by

Nov 25, 2024

Penalty

Initial $11,162 · Current $10,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances E101M102

General-duty citation text

1910.22(a)(1)  All places of employment, passageways, storerooms, service rooms, and walking-working surfaces are kept in a clean, orderly, and sanitary condition. 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 in that employees were exposed to combustible tissue paper dust deflagration hazards when moving accumulated (layered) fugitive dust emissions from surfaces (i.e., structural members, equipment, floors, walls, etc.)  in a manner which allowed for the formation of dense dust clouds via the use of high pressure compressed air and which did not control for potential ignition sources:  (a) On or about December 5, 2022, at the establishment located at 2200 Larson Road in Green Bay, Wisconsin; employees were allowed to utilize compressed air to perform blowdown methods of cleaning to remove accumulated layers of fugitive combustible tissue paper dust from horizontal surfaces including the floor, equipment, ducts, pipes, conduit, and building structural members in a manner which allowed for the generation of dense tissue paper dust clouds and which did not control for potential ignition sources from machinery and other electrical equipment.   These conditions exposed employees in the building to the hazard of combustible dust deflagration (flash fire) capable of causing injury in the form of thermal burns.

Issued

Mar 29, 2023

Abate by

Nov 25, 2024

Penalty

Initial $6,696 · Current $7,500

Hazardous substances 9135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(d)(1)(iii):The employer shall identify and evaluate the respiratory hazard(s) in the workplace; this evaluation shall include a reasonable estimate of employee exposures to respiratory hazard(s) and an identification of the contaminant's chemical state and physical form. Where the employer cannot identify or reasonably estimate the employee exposure, the employer shall consider the atmosphere to be IDLH.  (a) On or about December 5, 2022, at the establishment located at 2200 Larson Road in Green Bay, Wisconsin; the employer did not evaluate respiratory hazard(s) in the workplace and did not evaluate a reasonable estimate of employee exposures to respiratory hazard(s), such as tissue paper dust. Employees were exposed to airborne tissue paper dust during the blowdown methods of cleaning to remove accumulated layers of fugitive combustible tissue paper dust from horizontal surfaces including the floor, equipment, ducts, pipes, conduit, and building structural members in a manner which allowed for the generation of dense tissue paper dust clouds.

Issued

Mar 29, 2023

Abate by

Nov 25, 2024

Penalty

Initial $11,162 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances E101M102

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(g)(1): Chemical manufacturers and importers shall obtain or develop a safety data sheet for each hazardous chemical they produce or import. Employers shall have a safety data sheet in the workplace for each hazardous chemical which they use.  (a) On or about December 5, 2022, at the establishment located at 2200 Larson Road in Green Bay, Wisconsin; the employer did not have safety data sheets (SDS) in the workplace for each hazardous chemical which they produced or used. The employer had not updated a material safety data sheet (MSDS) for the White Tissue.