OSHA Inspection: T3 MANUFACTURING, INC.

Issued

Sep 8, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $3,572 · Current $3,349 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(c)(1):  A written respiratory protection program that included the provisions in 29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1)(i) - (ix) with worksite specific procedures was not established and implemented for required respirator use:  a) On or about April 4, 2023, the employer did not establish and implement a written respiratory protection program with worksite specific procedures when full-face, negative pressure elastomeric respirators were required for use by employees performing foam spraying/installation.   b) On or about April 13, 2023, the employer did not establish and implement a written respiratory protection program with worksite specific procedures when tight-fitting N95 filtering facepiece respirators were required for use by employees working in the concrete room.

Issued

Sep 8, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(e)(1):  The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employees' ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace:  a) On or about April 4, 2023, the employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employees' ability to wear a full-face elastomeric respirator when such respirators were required for use by employees working in the foam spraying area.  b) On or about April 13, 2023, the employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employees' ability to wear a tight-fitting N95 filtering facepiece respirator when such respirators were required for use by employees working in the concrete room.

Issued

Sep 8, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(f)(1):  The employer did not ensure that employee(s) required to use a tight-fitting facepiece respirator passed the appropriate qualitative fit test (QLFT) or quantitative fit test (QNFT):  a) On or about April 4, 2023, the employer did not ensure that employees passed a QLFT or QNFT before full-face, negative pressure elastomeric respirators were required for use by employees working in the foam-spraying area.  b) On or about April 13, 2023, the employer did not ensure that employees passed a QLFT or QNFT before tight-fitting N95 filtering facepiece respirators were required for use by employees working in the concrete room.

Issued

Sep 8, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

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:  On or about May 3, 2023, the employer failed to ensure respirators were stored in a manner that would protect them from damage or contamination.  Half-mask respirators in the concrete room were left out on a workstation, allowing silica-containing dust to contaminate the inside of the respirator.

Issued

Sep 8, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $4,465 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1053(d)(1):  The employer did not assess the exposure of each employee who was or may reasonably be expected to be exposed to respirable crystalline silica at or above the action level.  On May 11, 2023, an employee working in the concrete room was exposed to Respirable Crystalline Silica at an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of 32.6 micrograms per cubic meter, which is approximately 1.3 times the Action Level (AL) of 25 micrograms per cubic meter. The exposure was derived from a sample collected over a 230-minute period, with zero exposure assumed for the unsampled period of 250 minutes.

Issued

Sep 8, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $4,465 · Current $3,349 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(f)(2)(i):  The employer did not establish and implement a written exposure control plan:  On or about May 5, 2023, the employer failed to establish and implement a  workplace-specific written silica exposure control plan before employees were exposed to respirable crystalline silica while working in the concrete room.

Issued

Sep 8, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $4,465 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(h)(1):  The employer allowed dry sweeping or dry brushing where such activity could contribute to employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica and wet sweeping, HEPA-filtered vacuuming or other methods that minimize the likelihood of exposure were feasible:  On or about May 2, 2023, the employer allowed employees to dry-sweep in the concrete room, in which respirable crystalline silica containing dust is dispersed on the floor through the process of "concreting".

Issued

Sep 8, 2023

Abate by

Sep 29, 2023

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(h)(2)(i):  The employer allowed compressed air to be used to clean clothing or surfaces where such activity could contribute to employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica without being used in conjunction with a ventilation system to capture blown dust:  On or about May 2, 2023, the employer allowed employees to use compressed air, without being used in conjunction with a ventilation system, to clean clothing and surfaces the concrete room, in which respirable crystalline silica containing dust is dispersed on the floor through the process of "concreting".

Issued

Sep 8, 2023

Abate by

Nov 1, 2023

Penalty

Initial $3,572 · Current $2,678 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(h)(1): Employees were not provided effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment and whenever a new hazard that the employees had not been previously trained about was introduced into their work area:  a) On or about May 2, 2023, in the concrete room, employees adding 5000 PSI Concrete Mix to form the ballast of the buoys were not provided effective information and training on the hazards of silica found in the concrete mix.  b) On or about May 3, 2023, in the foaming area of the production floor, employees injecting foam into buoys were not provided effective information and training on the hazards of the ECOFOAM HD two-part foam in use.