OSHA Inspection: POWDER ALLOY CORPORATION

Issued

2025-07-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-10-09 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $9268.00 · Current $5561.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances A100

General-duty citation text

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to combustible metal dust deflagration, explosion, and fire hazards while working near an indoor enclosureless dust collector used to collect fugitive dust emissions from screening and mixing equipment.  (a) On February 3, 2025, in the Cladding Room, employees were engaged in the process of manufacturing thermal spray and brazing application product PAC912 (containing 5-9% combustible aluminum powder as an ingredient). The manufacturing process utilized an indoor enclosureless dust collector to collect fugitive dust emissions from screening and mixing equipment.  The indoor enclosureless dust collector presented combustible metal dust deflagration, explosion, and fire hazards in that oxygen, fuel, suspension, and ignition sources were capable of being present at the same time within the system.

Issued

2025-07-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-10-09 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $9268.00 · Current $5561.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances A100

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.38(c)(1) Minimum elements of an emergency action plan. An emergency action plan must include at a minimum: Procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency.  (a)   On or about February 3, 2025, the employer had not developed or implemented procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency as part of the emergency action plan for employees who worked with combustible dusts, such as aluminum powder.

Issued

2025-07-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-10-09 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances A100

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.38(c)(3): Minimum elements of an emergency action plan. An emergency action plan must include at a minimum:  Procedures to be followed by employees who remain to operate critical plant operations before they evacuate.   (a)   On or about February 3, 2025, the employer had not developed or implemented procedures to be followed by employees who remained behind to operate critical plant operations as part of the emergency action plan for employees who worked with combustible dusts, such as aluminum powder.

Issued

2025-07-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-10-09 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances A100

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.38(c)(5):  Minimum elements of an emergency action plan. An emergency action plan must include at a minimum:   Procedures to be followed by employees performing rescue or medical duties;      (a)   On or about February 3, 2025, the employer had not developed or implemented procedures to be followed by employees performing rescue or medical duties as part of the emergency action plan for employees who worked with combustible dusts, such as aluminum powder.

Issued

2025-07-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-10-09 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances A100

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.38(c)(6): Minimum elements of an emergency action plan. An emergency action plan must include at a minimum:  The name or job title of every employee who may be contacted by employees who need more information about the plan or an explanation of their duties under the plan.   (a)   On or about February 3, 2025, the employer had not developed or implemented an emergency action plan that included the name or job title of every employee who may be contacted by employees who need more information about the plan or an explanation of their duties under the plan.

Issued

2025-07-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-10-09 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $5561.00

Hazardous substances A100

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.133(a)(1): The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to eye or face hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation.   (a)   On or about February 3, 2025, the employer failed to ensure that employees used eye and face protection while handling combustible aluminum dust.

Issued

2025-07-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-10-09 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $5296.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 17901840A100

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1):  In any workplace where respirators are necessary to protect the health of the employee or whenever respirators are required by the employer, the employer shall establish and implement a written respiratory protection program with worksite-specific procedures. The program shall be updated as necessary to reflect those changes in workplace conditions that affect respirator use. The employer shall include in the program the following provisions of this section, as applicable:   1910.134(c)(1)(i):  Procedures for selecting respirators for use in the workplace; 1910.134(c)(1)(ii):  Medical evaluations of employees required to use respirators; 1910.134(c)(1)(iii):  Fit testing procedures for tight-fitting respirators; 1910.134(c)(1)(iv):  Procedures for proper use of respirators in routine and reasonably foreseeable emergency situations; 1910.134(c)(1)(v):  Procedures and schedules for cleaning, disinfecting, storing, inspecting, repairing, discarding, and otherwise maintaining respirators; 1910.134(c)(1)(vi):  Procedures to ensure adequate air quality, quantity, and flow of breathing air for atmosphere-supplying respirators; 1910.134(c)(1)(vii):  Training of employees in the respiratory hazards to which they are potentially exposed during routine and emergency situations; 1910.134(c)(1)(viii):  Training of employees in the proper use of respirators, including putting on and removing them, any limitations on their use, and their maintenance; and 1910.134(c)(1)(ix):  Procedures for regularly evaluating the effectiveness of the program.  (a)  On or about February 3, 2025, the employer did not establish and implement a written respiratory protection program with worksite specific procedures where respirator use was required in the workplace.

Issued

2025-07-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2026-04-07 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $9268.00 · Current $5561.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances A100

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.307(a)(4):  Division and zone classification. In Class I locations, an installation must be classified as using the division classification system meeting paragraphs (c), (d), (e), and (f) of this section or using the zone classification system meeting paragraph (g) of this section. In Class II and Class III locations, an installation must be classified using the division classification system meeting paragraphs (c), (d), (e), and (f) of this section.  (a)  On or about February 3, 2025, the employer did not correctly classify the work area known as the cladding room in the Cermet Department as a Class II work location due to the use of combustible aluminum powder  which exposed employees to dust deflagration hazards while working near an indoor enclosureless dust collector used to collect fugitive dust emissions from screening and mixing equipment.

Issued

2025-07-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2026-04-07 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances A100

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.307(c)(2)(i): Equipment shall be approved not only for the class of location, but also for the ignitable or combustible properties of the specific gas, vapor, dust, or fiber that will be present.   a) On or about February 3, 2025, the employer did not ensure that electrical equipment used in the cladding room, where combustible aluminum dust was present, was approved for the hazardous (classified) location. The room had conditions consistent with a Class II, Division 1 environment due to use of an enclosureless dust collector, but the electrical installations were not rated for Class II, Group E dust, exposing employees to deflagration hazards.

Issued

2025-07-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-10-09 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 179018402440A100

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): Written hazard communication program.  Employers shall develop, implement, and maintain at each workplace, a written hazard communication program which at least describes how the criteria specified in paragraphs (f), (g), and (h) of this section for labels and other forms of warning, safety data sheets, and employee information and training will be met, and which also includes the following:  1910.1200(e)(1)(i) A list of the hazardous chemicals known to be present using a product identifier that is referenced on the appropriate safety data sheet (the list may be compiled for the workplace as a whole or for individual work areas);  1910.1200(e)(1)(ii) The methods the employer will use to inform employees of the hazards of non-routine tasks (for example, the cleaning of reactor vessels), and the hazards associated with chemicals contained in unlabeled pipes in their work areas.  (a)  On or about February 3, 2025, the employer had not developed, implemented or maintained a written hazard communication program for the workplace where employees were exposed to combustible metal dusts.