OSHA Inspection: SHARK GLASS RECYCLING NE, LLC

Issued

2025-01-27 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-03-07 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $11585.00 · Current $8100.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1)(i): The employer did not ensure that each employee on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge that is 4 feet (1.2m) or more above a lower level was protected from falling by guardrail systems, safety net system, or personal fall arrest system:  a) Break Room and Office Mezzanine: Employees were exposed to an approximate eight foot fall hazard while walking on the unprotected mezzanine platform and no means of fall protection was in use, on or about August 28, 2024.  b) Outdoors, Trailer Filling Area: Employees were exposed to an approximate 11 foot fall hazard while climbing onto unprotected tarped trailers and no means of fall protection was in use, on or about September 4, 2024.  ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

Issued

2025-01-27 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-04-11 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $8276.00 · Current $5800.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9135

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:   a) Main Production Area: An employee was overexposed to total dust while performing dry sweeping and shoveling during glass crushing operations, and the employer did not require this employee to wear a respirator, on or about September 4, 2024.   ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED   ABATEMENT NOTE: The key elements of a required use respiratory protection program include, but are not limited to, the written program (c), medical evaluation (e), fit testing (f), and training (k).

Issued

2025-01-27 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-02-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $11585.00 · Current $8100.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.178(n)(6): Industrial truck drivers were not required to look in the direction of, and keep a clear view of the path of travel:  a) Main Production Area: Employees operated powered industrial trucks in areas where their visibility of the path of travel was significantly reduced due to high concentrations of airborne dust, and the employer did not require these employees to discontinue forklift operation until they had a clear view of the path of travel, on or about September 4, 2024.   ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

Issued

2025-01-27 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-04-11 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $9931.00 · Current $6900.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(a)(2): Employee(s) were exposed to an airborne concentration of particulates not otherwise regulated listed in Table Z-1 in excess of the 8 hour Time Weighted Average concentration of 15 milligrams per cubic meter:  a) Main Production Area: An employee was exposed to particulates not otherwise regulated (total dust) at an 8-hour time-weighted average of 21.7 milligrams per cubic meter of air, approximately 1.4 times the Permissible Exposure Limit of 15 milligrams per cubic meter of air. Sampling was performed for 226 minutes on September 4, 2024. Zero exposure was assumed for the 254 minutes not sampled.   ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

Issued

2025-01-27 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-04-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 9135

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(e): Feasible administrative or engineering controls were not determined and implemented to achieve compliance with the limits prescribed in 29 CFR 1910.1000(a) through (d):  a) Main Production Area: An employee was exposed to particulates not otherwise regulated (total dust) at an 8-hour time-weighted average of 21.7 milligrams per cubic meter of air, approximately 1.4 times the Permissible Exposure Limit of 15 milligrams per cubic meter of air. Sampling was performed for 226 minutes on September 4, 2024. Zero exposure was assumed for the 254 minutes not sampled. The employer did not implement feasible administrative and/or engineering controls to reduce employee exposure levels to below the calculated Permissible Exposure Limit for total dust.   ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED   ABATEMENT NOTE:  The employer should implement a process-based approach to abate the cited hazard. As part of that process, multiple abatement measures from the menu below may be necessary to materially reduce the hazard. The following items are intended as part of an overall process and are not intended as alternatives which, standing alone, would each satisfy the employer's abatement obligations:  - Reduce the drop height of cullet transferred from the crusher to the conveyor belt and from conveyor belt to conveyor belt.  - Prevent spillage of cullet by enclosing all mechanical conveyor belts or by pneumatically transferring the material through closed piping.  - Utilize mechanical exhaust ventilation to capture the dust cloud over the crusher, cullet drop points on conveyors, and other locations of dust generation throughout the process.  - Utilize wet methods (e.g., water spray misters) over the crusher, cullet drop points on conveyors, and other locations of dust generation throughout the process.  - Utilize powered industrial trucks with fully enclosed operator cabs.  The cabs should be maintained under positive pressure and HEPA filtered.   - Train employees to maintain a safe distance from dust generation points.  - Rotate employees into areas with lower dust levels to reduce their daily exposure.  - Notify employees of the purpose of any engineering or work practice controls implemented to reduce exposure to total dust. Provide training to employees on the proper utilization of these exposure controls. Regularly monitor the effectiveness of these controls.  - Promptly repair any broken or malfunctioning engineering controls (e.g., local exhaust ventilation) used for dust control.

Issued

2025-01-27 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-03-07 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $6620.00 · Current $4600.00 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) Main Production Area: Employees were exposed to the hazardous chemical, crystalline silica, and the employer did not provide employees with training specific to the hazards associated with this substance, on or about September 4, 2024.  ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED