OSHA Inspection: A & H DUFFY POLISHING AND FINISHING CO.

Issued

Jul 7, 2023

Abate by

Apr 25, 2025

Penalty

Initial $10,938 · Current $1,250 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(l) 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 an improperly designed and improperly maintained dust collection system and duct work for combustible metals:   In the Manual and Spindle Polishing Operations:      (a) The dust collection system, including the dust collection duct work, was not properly grounded.        (b) Controls to mitigate the hazards of fire, flash fire, deflagration, or explosion within the dust collection system including the collection, filtration, and air return components were ineffective and incomplete.     (c) Dust was allowed to accumulate in the dust collection hoods and at the entrances to the dust collection duct work with no regular inspections and cleanings of the hoods and duct work.     (d) Components of the dust collection system, including the dust collection hoods, were made from plywood and cardboard materials.    (e) Inappropriate cleaning methods were used to contain fugitive dusts in the workplace, including compressed air and nylon bristle brooms.

Issued

Jul 7, 2023

Abate by

Apr 25, 2025

Penalty

Initial $10,938 · Current $1,250 Reduced

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 are kept in a clean, orderly, and sanitary condition:  (a) Manual and Spindle Polishing Areas:  The area where manual metal polishing and grinding were performed had explosible metal dusts located on the pipes, electrical lighting, gas heating appliances, other structures in the exposed ceiling, on the upper horizontal surfaces of polishing and grinding equipment, on electrical boxes and conduits attached to the walls on or about January 11, 2023 .

Issued

Jul 7, 2023

Abate by

Apr 25, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.307(c): Electrical equipment in hazardous Class II, Division I, location and Class II, Division II, locations was not intrinsically safe, approved for the hazardous Class II, Division I location and Class II, Division II location, or safe for the hazardous Class II, Division I location and Class II, Division II location:  (a) Manual and Spindle Polishing Areas:  On or about January 11, 2023, in the area where metal polishing and grinding were performed, electrical equipment including, but not limited to, open motor heaters, electrical outlet boxes, breaker panels, disconnect switches, lighting snap switches, overhead lighting, stand belt grinders/sanders and standing and bench polishers in Class II Division I Locations, were not intrinsically safe, approved for a Class II, Division I location, or safe for a Class II, Division I location.  (b)Manual and Spindle Polishing Areas: On or about January 11, 2023, in the area where metal polishing and grinding were performed, electrical equipment including, but not limited to, open motor heaters, electrical outlet boxes, breaker panels, disconnect switches, lighting snap switches, overhead lighting, stand belt grinders/sanders and standing and bench polishers in Class II Division II Locations, were not intrinsically safe, approved for a Class II Division II location, or safe for a Class II, Division II location.

Issued

Jul 7, 2023

Abate by

Apr 25, 2025

Penalty

Initial $10,938 · Current $1,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.95(i)(2)(ii)(A): The employer did not ensure that hearing protectors are worn by any employee who is exposed to an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels or greater and has not yet had a baseline audiogram established pursuant to 29 CFR 1910.95(g)(5)(ii):  (a) Manual Polishing Area:  On or about January 11, 2023 the employer did not ensure that hearing protectors were worn by all employees who are exposed to an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels or greater and have not yet had a baseline audiogram established pursuant to 29 CFR 1910.95(g)(5)(ii).

Issued

Jul 7, 2023

Abate by

Apr 25, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 8111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.95(k)(1):The employer shall train each employee who is exposed to noise at or above an 8-hour time weighted average of 85 decibels in accordance with the requirements of this section. The employer shall institute a training program and ensure employee participation in the program.  (a) Manual Polishing Area:  On or about January 11, 2023 the employer did not train employees who were exposed to noise at or above an 8-hour time weighted average of 85 decibels in accordance with the requirements of this section, including what the hazards of noise are and in the proper use of hearing protection devices.

Issued

Jul 7, 2023

Abate by

Apr 25, 2025

Penalty

Initial $7,813 · Current $500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(c):The employer did not develop and implement a written respiratory protection program with required worksite-specific procedures and elements for required respirator use:  (a) Manual Polishing Area:  On or about January 11, 2023 the employer did not develop and implement a written respiratory protection program with required worksite-specific procedures and elements for employees who are required to use respirators when cleaning the spindle polishing machines.

Issued

Jul 7, 2023

Abate by

Apr 25, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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 hazards and identification of the contaminant's chemical state and physical form:  (a) Manual Polishing Area:  On or about January 11, 2023 the employer did not identify and evaluate the respiratory hazard(s) in the workplace, including a reasonable estimate of employee exposures to respiratory hazards and identification of the contaminant's chemical state and physical form, when cleaning the spindle polishing machines.

Issued

Jul 7, 2023

Abate by

Apr 25, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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) Manual Polishing Area:  On or about January 11, 2023, employees who were required to wear N-95 filtering face respirators had facial hair that came between the sealing surface of the facepiece and the face when cleaning the spindle polishing machines .