OSHA Inspection: T & R CONTRACTING, INC.

Issued

Mar 7, 2025

Abate by

Apr 8, 2025

Penalty

Initial $10,427 · Current $6,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

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)T & R Contracting, Inc. at the Interstate 90 - Exit 406 Project, Brandon, SD 57005: On or about and at times prior to October 30, 2024, the employer did not develop and implement a written respiratory protection program to cover employees required to wear respiratory protection when abrasive blasting pavement expansion joints and blowing-out pavement expansion joints, activities recognized to generate and disperse respirable crystalline silica. Employees who inhale respirable crystalline silica are at an increased risk of developing serious disease including but not limited to; silicosis, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney cancer.

Issued

Mar 7, 2025

Abate by

Apr 8, 2025

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 employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace:  (a)T & R Contracting, Inc. at the Interstate 90 - Exit 406 Project, Brandon, SD 57005: On or about and at times prior to October 30, 2024, the employer did not ensure that employees required to utilize respiratory protection were protected from hazards related to use of respiratory protection by completing a medical evaluation before being required to use a respirator in the workplace. This condition exposed employees to hazards related to use of respiratory protection.

Issued

Mar 7, 2025

Abate by

Apr 8, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(f)(2):Employee(s) using tight-fitting facepiece respirators were not fit tested prior to initial use of the respirator:  (a)T & R Contracting, Inc. at the Interstate 90 - Exit 406 Project, Brandon, SD 57005: On or about and at times prior to October 30, 2024, the employer did not ensure employees required to use respiratory protection completed fit testing, to ensure the respirator provides adequate protection, prior to initial use of the respirator. Employees were  abrasive blasting pavement expansion joints and blowing-out pavement expansion joints and abrasive blasting activities recognized to generate respirable crystalline silica. Employees who inhale respirable crystalline silica are at an increased risk of developing serious disease including but not limited to; silicosis, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney cancer.

Issued

Mar 7, 2025

Abate by

Apr 8, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(k):The employer did not provide comprehensive, understandable training which did not occur annually and/or more often if necessary:  (a)T & R Contracting, Inc. at the Interstate 90 - Exit 406 Project, Brandon, SD 57005: On or about and at times prior to October 30, 2024, the employer did not ensure that employees required to use respiratory protection were provided training at least on an annual basis.

Issued

Mar 7, 2025

Abate by

Apr 8, 2025

Penalty

Initial $10,427 · Current $6,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1926.1153(d)(1):The employer did not ensure that employee  exposure to an airborne concentration of respirable crystalline silica was at or below of 50 g/m3, calculated as an 8-hour TWA:  (a)T & R Contracting, Inc. at the Interstate 90 - Exit 406 Project, Brandon, SD 57005: On or about and at times prior to October 30, 2024, an employee's exposure to respirable crystalline silica when abrasive blasting expansion joints and blowing-out expansion joints was measured to be approximately 159 ug/m^3 as an 8-hour time weighted average ("8-Hr TWA") which is above the permissible exposure limit for respirable crystalline silica of 50 ug/m^3 as a 8-Hr TWA. Employees who inhale respirable crystalline silica are at an increased risk of developing serious disease including but not limited to; silicosis, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney cancer.

Issued

Mar 7, 2025

Abate by

Apr 8, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1926.1153(d)(2)(ii):The employer did not assess the 8-hour TWA exposure for each employee on the basis of any combination of air monitoring data or objective data sufficient to accurately characterize employee exposures to respirable crystalline silica:  (a)T & R Contracting, Inc. at the Interstate 90 - Exit 406 Project, Brandon, SD 57005: On or about and at times prior to October 30, 2024, the employer did not assess exposure to respirable crystalline silica for employees abrasive blasting expansion joints and blowing-out expansion joints. Exposure assessment sampling for employees abrasive blasting expansion joints and blowing-out expansion joints was measured to be approximately  159 ug/m^3 as an 8-hour time weighted average ("8-Hr TWA") which is above the permissible exposure limit for respirable crystalline silica of 50 ug/m^3 as a 8-Hr TWA. Employees who inhale respirable crystalline silica are at an increased risk of developing serious disease including but not limited to; silicosis, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney cancer.

Issued

Mar 7, 2025

Abate by

Apr 8, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1926.1153(d)(3)(i):The employer did not use engineering and work practice controls to reduce and maintain employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica to or below the PEL, unless the employer can demonstrate that such controls are not feasible:  (a)T & R Contracting, Inc. at the Interstate 90 - Exit 406 Project, Brandon, SD 57005: On or about and at times prior to October 30, 2024, the employer did not implement engineering and work practice controls to reduce and maintain employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica to or below the permissible exposure limit. Employees performed abrasive blasting of expansion joints and blowing-out expansion joints in a manner that directing materials upwind of their work position causing respirable crystalline silica containing materials to be blown back towards the worker.  This condition exposed employees to hazards related to respirable crystalline silica.

Issued

Mar 7, 2025

Abate by

Apr 8, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1926.1153(g)(1)(iv):The exposure control plan did not contain a  description of the procedures used to restrict access to work areas, when necessary, to minimize the number of employees exposed to respirable crystalline silica and their level of exposure, including exposures generated by other employers or sole proprietors:  (a)T & R Contracting, Inc. at the Interstate 90 - Exit 406 Project, Brandon, SD 57005: On or about and at times prior to October 30, 2024, the employer did not ensure that employees were restricted access to work areas around abrasive blasting expansion joints and blowing-out expansion joints activities to reduce employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica.  Employees who inhale respirable crystalline silica are at an increased risk of developing serious disease including but not limited to; silicosis, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney cancer.

Issued

Mar 7, 2025

Abate by

Apr 8, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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:  (a)T & R Contracting, Inc. at the Interstate 90 - Exit 406 Project, Brandon, SD 57005: On or about and at times prior to October 30, 2024, the employer did not ensure that employees exposed to respirable crystalline silica received training that allowed the employee to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of at least the information contained in paragraphs (A) - (F) of this section.

Issued

Mar 7, 2025

Abate by

Apr 8, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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)T & R Contracting, Inc. at the Interstate 90 - Exit 406 Project, Brandon, SD 57005: On or about and at times prior to October 30, 2024, the employer did not ensure that all employees performing work with or in the vicinity of hazardous chemicals were provided training on hazardous chemicals at the time of their initial assignment. This condition exposed employees to chemical hazards.