OSHA Inspection: TOTAL DEMOLITION SERVICES LLC

Issued

Dec 6, 2024

Abate by

Jan 27, 2025

Penalty

Initial $8,067 · Current $2,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8110

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.52(d)(1): In all cases where the sound levels exceeded the values shown in Table D-2 of 29 CFR 1926.52, a continuing, effective hearing conservation program was not administered:  On June 25, 2024, on the fourth floor of the courthouse, an effective hearing conservation program was not administered for employees who were exposed to workplace noise at an 8-hour time-weighted-average (TWA) sound level of 99.4 dBA, or equivalently a noise dose of 368.8% during demolition operations. The noise monitoring result was derived from a personal sampling time of 373 minutes and a non-sampled time of 107 minutes was assumed to be a zero exposure period.

Issued

Dec 6, 2024

Abate by

Jan 27, 2025

Penalty

Initial $11,292 · Current $3,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1153(c)(1): For each employee engaged in a task identified on Table 1, the employer did not fully and properly implement the engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection specified for the task on Table 1, unless the employer assesses and limits the exposure of the employee to respirable crystalline silica in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section:  On or about June 25, 2024, at the 4th floor of the courthouse, engineering controls for limiting the exposure to respirable crystalline silica were not fully and properly implemented for employees who used jackhammers and a circular saw to remove building materials that contained crystalline silica.

Issued

Dec 6, 2024

Abate by

Jan 27, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1153(d)(1): The employer did not ensure that employees were not exposed to an airborne concentration of respirable crystalline silica in excess of 50 g/m3, calculated as an 8-hour TWA:  During demolition operations of crystalline silica containing building materials, employees were exposed to an airborne concentration of respirable crystalline silica which exceeded 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, as an 8-hour time-weighted average as follows:  a) On June 25, 2024, on the fourth floor of the courthouse, an employee's personal 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) exposure to airborne concentrations of respirable crystalline silica was 150.0 micrograms per cubic meter of air during demolition of walls consisting of concrete-type plaster as well as other building materials.  This exposure exceeded the OSHA respirable crystalline silica PEL of 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air by three times.  The monitoring consisted of one sample collected during a 111-minute sampling period and one sample collected during a 260 -minute sampling period. The remaining time of 109 minutes was included in the 8-hour TWA as a zero respirable crystalline silica exposure period.  b) On June 25, 2024, on the fourth floor of the courthouse, an employee's personal 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) exposure to airborne concentrations of respirable crystalline silica was 130.0 micrograms per cubic meter of air during demolition of walls consisting of concrete-type plaster as well as other building materials.  This exposure exceeded the OSHA respirable crystalline silica PEL of 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air by 2.6 times.  The monitoring consisted of one sample collected during a 260 -minute sampling period and one sample collected during a 111 -minute sampling period. The remaining time of 109 minutes was included in the 8-hour TWA as a zero respirable crystalline silica exposure period.

Issued

Dec 6, 2024

Abate by

Jan 27, 2025

Penalty

Initial $11,292 · Current $3,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1153(g)(1): The employer did not establish and implement a written exposure control plan:  On or about June 13, 2024, at the 4th floor of the courthouse, employees operated jackhammers and a powered circular saw to remove building materials that contained crystalline silica and a written exposure control plan for employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica was not implemented.

Issued

Dec 6, 2024

Abate by

Jan 27, 2025

Penalty

Initial $11,292 · Current $3,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1153(e)(2): Where respirator use is required by this section, the employer did not institute a respiratory protection program in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.134:  On or about June 13, 2024, at the 4th floor of the courthouse, employees were required to wear N95 half mask respirators where jackhammers and a circular saw were used to remove building materials that contained crystalline silica and a respiratory protection program in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.134 was not implemented.

Issued

Dec 6, 2024

Abate by

Jan 27, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

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:   On or about June 13, 2024, at the 4th floor of the courthouse, employees were required to wear N95 half mask respirators and were not provided a medical evaluation to determine their ability to use a respirator.  Employees used jackhammers and a circular saw to remove building materials that contained crystalline silica.

Issued

Dec 6, 2024

Abate by

Jan 27, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

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):   On or about June 13, 2024, at the 4th floor of the courthouse, employees were required to wear N95 half mask tight-fitting respirators and were not provided respirator fit testing.  Employees used jackhammers and a circular saw to remove building materials that contained crystalline silica.

Issued

Dec 6, 2024

Abate by

Jan 27, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

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:   On or about June 25, 2024, at the 4th floor of the courthouse, employees required to wear N95 half mask tight-fitting respirators had facial hair that came between the face and sealing surface of the respirator.  Employees used jackhammers and a circular saw to remove building materials that contained crystalline silica.

Issued

Dec 6, 2024

Abate by

Jan 27, 2025

Penalty

Initial $11,292 · Current $3,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1153(i)(2)(i): The employer did not ensure that each covered employee could demonstrate knowledge and understanding of at least the information contained in paragraphs (A) - (F) of this section:  On or about June 13, 2024, at the 4th floor of the courthouse, employees operated jackhammers and a powered circular saw to remove building materials that contained crystalline silica and employees did not demonstrate knowledge and understanding on respirable crystalline silica.

Issued

Dec 6, 2024

Abate by

Jan 27, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(4): The employer did not make the written hazard communication program available upon request to the Assistant Secretary and the Director in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.1020(e):  On or about June 25, 2024, and at times prior thereto, at the 4th floor of the courthouse, employees operated jackhammers and a powered circular saw to remove building materials that contained crystalline silica, were exposed to respirable crystalline silica, and the written hazard communication program was not made available to OSHA.

Issued

Dec 6, 2024

Abate by

Jan 27, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

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):  On or about June 13, 2024, at the 4th floor of the courthouse, employees used a gasoline powered saw and a safety data sheet for gasoline was not made readily accessible in the work area.

Issued

Dec 6, 2024

Abate by

Dec 30, 2024

Penalty

Initial $1,613 · Current $400 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1904.40(a): The employer did not provide an authorized government representative the records within the four business hours:  On or about June 13, 2024, the employer did not provide to OSHA, within the four business hours of when they were requested, the following:  a. OSHA Form 300 or equivalent for years 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020 b. OSHA Form 300A or equivalent for years 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020.