OSHA Inspection: ASPEN AEROGELS RHODE ISLAND, LLC

Issued

Aug 22, 2023

Abate by

Dec 19, 2023

Penalty

Initial $15,625 · Current $15,625

Hazardous substances M102

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.  Facility at 3 Dexter Road EAST PROVIDENCE, RI in the finishing area:  a. On or about April 4, 2023, the employer did not ensure all places of employment, including but not limited to the finishing area, were kept clean in that,  the employer allowed combustible dust to accumulate on the floors, equipment, ovens, duct work, electrical conduits and boxes .

Issued

Aug 22, 2023

Abate by

Dec 19, 2023

Penalty

Initial $15,625 · Current $15,625

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(a)(2): A respirator was not provided by the employer to each employee when such equipment was necessary to protect the health of the employee.   Facility at 3 Dexter Road EAST PROVIDENCE, RI in the finishing area:  a. On or about April 4, 2023, the employer did not provide respirators to employees that worked in the finishing area, for job tasks including, but not limited to, water jet operators, for protection against exposures to Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated (PNOR) for total dust.  At a minimum, a N95 NIOSH-certified filtering facepiece respirator is necessary to protect employees from Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated (PNOR) for total dust.

Issued

Aug 22, 2023

Abate by

Dec 27, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 91309135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1000(a)(2): Employee(s) were exposed to an airborne concentration of Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated (PNOR) for total dust listed in Table Z-1 in excess of the 8 hour Time Weighted Average concentration of 15 mg/m3.  Facility at 3 Dexter Road in EAST PROVIDENCE, RI:  a. On or about April 4, 2023, an employee (EE B) working in the finishing area at oven 4 rewind was exposed to an 8-hour TWA of Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated, Total Dust, of 17 mg/m3, in excess of the 8-hour TWA permissible exposure limit of 15 mg/m3.  b. On or about April 4, 2023, an employee (EE C) working in the finishing area as a coater was exposed to an 8-hour TWA of Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated, Total Dust, of 30 mg/m3, in excess of the 8-hour TWA permissible exposure limit of 15 mg/m3.  c. On or about April 4, 2023, an employee (EE E) working in the water jet area was exposed to an 8-hour TWA of Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated, Total Dust, of 17 mg/m3, in excess of the 8-hour TWA permissible exposure limit of 15 mg/m3.

Issued

Aug 22, 2023

Abate by

Dec 27, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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) for respirable dust listed in Table Z-1 in excess of the 8 hour Time Weighted Average concentration of 5 mg/m3.  Facility at 3 Dexter Road in EAST PROVIDENCE, RI:  a. On or about April 4, 2023, an employee (EE C) working in the finishing area as a coater was exposed to an 8-hour TWA of Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated, Respirable Dust, of 7.1 mg/m3, in excess of the 8-hour TWA permissible exposure limit of 5 mg/m3.

Issued

Aug 22, 2023

Abate by

Dec 19, 2023

Penalty

Initial $31,250 · Current $15,625 Reduced

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.  Facility at 3 Dexter Road EAST PROVIDENCE, RI in the finishing area:  a. On or about April 4, 2023, employees that worked in the finishing area, for job tasks including but not limited to coater operators, had facial hair and wore tight fitting N95 filtering facepiece respirators for protection against exposures to Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated (PNOR) for total dust and respirable dust. Personal breathing zone sampling was conducted on the coater operator (EE C) and was found to be overexposed to PNOR for total dust and respirable dust while wearing an N95 with a full beard.  Aspen Aerogels Rhode Island, LLC was previously cited for a violation of this Occupational Safety and Health Standard 29 CFR 1910.134(g)(1)(i)(A), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1401667, citation number 1, item number 1 and was affirmed as a final order on 11-21-2019, with respect to a workplace located at 3 Dexter Road in EAST PROVIDENCE, RI 02914.

Issued

Aug 22, 2023

Penalty

Initial $2,232 · Current $1,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1904.41(a)(1) If your establishment had 250 or more employees at any time during the previous calendar year, and this part requires your establishment to keep records, then you must electronically submit information from the three recordkeeping forms that you keep under this part (OSHA Form 300A Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, OSHA Form 300 Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, and OSHA Form 301 Injury and Illness Incident Report) to OSHA or OSHA's designee. You must submit the information once a year, no later than the date listed in paragraph (c) of this section of the year after the calendar year covered by the forms.  Facility at 3 Dexter Road, EAST PROVIDENCE, RI 02914:  a.) On or about April 4, 2023, the employer failed during calendar year 2022, to electronically submit information from their OSHA Form 300A or equivalent by 03/02/2023. The establishment employed about 296 employees during calendar year 2022 and is classified with NAICS 325998 - All Other Miscellaneous Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing.