OSHA Inspection: HAWK RESEARCH LABORATORIES, LLC

Issued

Sep 4, 2025

Abate by

Oct 22, 2025

Penalty

Initial $11,585 · Current $11,585

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.106(e)(6)(i): Adequate precautions shall be taken to prevent the ignition of flammable vapors.  Sources of ignition include but are not limited to open flames; lightning; smoking; cutting and welding; hot surfaces; frictional heat; static, electrical, and mechanical sparks; spontaneous ignition, including heat-producing chemical reactions; and radiant heat.  (a) On or about April 17, 2025, the employer had not ensured that condition of static spark discharge from human and conductive process equipment interactions, such as the opening of the mixing vessels in the Class I Division 1 manufacturing area containing flammable liquids and their vapors (such as but not limited to vessels T601, T602, T401, and T402) to add particulate solid additives and dispensing of flammable liquids, was controlled or protected for by ensuring that employees interacting with the mixing vessels were bonded to the system and grounded through means of personnel bonding and grounding (i.e., wrist straps or static dissipative footwear with engineered, conductive flooring systems).  This condition exposed employees to explosion, deflagration, flash fire, and/or fire hazards associated with the ignition of flammable vapors from static sparks between employees and the process equipment.

Issued

Sep 4, 2025

Abate by

Oct 22, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.136(a): The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses protective footwear when working in areas where there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects, or objects piercing the sole, or when the use of protective footwear will protect the affected employee from an electrical hazard, such as a static-discharge or electric-shock hazard, that remains after the employer takes other necessary protective measures.  (a) On or about April 17, 2025, and at times prior, the employer had not ensured that the condition of static spark discharge from human and conductive process equipment interactions, such as the opening of mixing vessels in the Class I Division 1 production area containing flammable liquids and their vapors (such as but not limited to mixing vessels T601, T604, T302, and T602) to add particulate solid additives, and dispensing of flammable liquids, was controlled or protected for by ensuring that employees interacting with the mixing vessels were bonded and grounded through the use of static dissipative footwear or other equivalent means such as shoe grounding straps.

Issued

Sep 4, 2025

Abate by

Oct 22, 2025

Penalty

Initial $8,276 · Current $4,138 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(c)(1): Employers shall develop a written plan of action regarding the implementation of the employee participation required by 29 CFR 1910.119(c).  (a) On or about April 17, 2025, and at times prior, the employer had not developed a written plan of action regarding the implementation of the employee participation for the solvent-based coatings manufacturing process within the Class I Division 1 production area producing flammable liquids paints with flashpoints below 100 F and in quantities over 10,000 lbs.  The covered process includes all processing equipment and flammable materials associated with mixers M602, M601, M402, and M401 and mixing vessels T601, T604, T302, and T602 located within the Class I Division 1 production area.

Issued

Sep 4, 2025

Abate by

Oct 22, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $11,585

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(d)(2)(i): Information pertaining to the technology of the process shall include at least the elements specified in 29 CFR 1910.119(d)(2)(i)(A) through (E).   (a) On or about April 17, 2025, and at times prior, the employer had not developed process safety information required by the standard, including information pertaining to the technology of the process, for the solvent-based coatings manufacturing process within the Class I Division 1 production area producing flammable liquid paints with flash points below 100 F and in quantities over 10,000 lbs.  The covered process includes all processing equipment and flammable materials associated with mixers M602, M601, M402, and M401 and mixing vessels T601, T604, T302, and T602 located within the Class I Division 1 production area.

Issued

Sep 4, 2025

Abate by

Oct 22, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(d)(3)(i): Information pertaining to the equipment in the process shall include the elements specified in 29 CFR 1910.119(d)(3)(i)(A) through (H).   (a) On or about April 17, 2025, and at times prior, the employer had not developed process safety information required by the standard, including the information pertaining to the equipment in the process, for the solvent-based paints manufacturing process within the Class I Division 1 production area producing flammable liquid paints with flash points below 100 F and in quantities over 10,000 lbs.  The covered process includes all processing equipment and flammable materials associated with mixers M602, M601, M402, and M401 and mixing vessels T601, T604, T302, and T602 located within the Class I Division 1 production area.

Issued

Sep 4, 2025

Abate by

Oct 22, 2025

Penalty

Initial $11,585 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(f)(1): The employer shall develop and implement written operating procedures that provide clear instructions for safely conducting activities involved in each covered process consistent with the process safety information and shall address at least the elements listed in 29 CFR 1910.119(f)(1)(i) through (iv).  (a) On or about April 17, 2025, and at times prior, the employer had not developed nor implemented written operating procedures that provided clear instructions for safely conducting activities involved in the solvent-based coatings manufacturing process within the Class I Division 1 manufacturing area producing flammable liquid paints with flash points below 100 F and in quantities over 10,000 lbs. The covered process includes all processing equipment and flammable materials associated with mixers M602, M601, M402, and M401 and mixing vessels T601, T604, T302, and T602 located within the Class I Division 1 production area.

Issued

Sep 4, 2025

Abate by

Oct 22, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(g)(1)(i): Initial Training.  Each employee presently involved in operating a process, and each employee before being involved in operating a newly assigned process, shall be trained in an overview of the process and in the operating procedures as specified in paragraph (f) of 29 CFR 1910.119. The training shall include emphasis on the specific safety and health hazards, emergency operations including shutdown, and safe work practices applicable to the employee's job tasks.    (a) On or about April 17, 2025, and at times prior, the employer had not provide initial training on operating procedures (to include and overview of the process, compliant operating procedures and with an emphasis on specific safety and health hazards, emergency operations, and safe work practices) for employees required to work in the solvent-based coatings manufacturing process within the Class I Division 1 production area producing flammable liquid paints with flash points below 100 F and in quantities over 10,000 lbs. The covered process includes all processing equipment and flammable materials associated with mixers M602, M601, M402, and M401 and mixing vessels T601, T604, T302, and T602 located within the Class I Division 1 production area.

Issued

Sep 4, 2025

Abate by

Oct 22, 2025

Penalty

Initial $8,276 · Current $8,276

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 March 19, 2025, at this location, employees engaged in manufacturing of coating chemicals were not provided with training on the hazardous materials (such as but not limited to; fume silica, xylene, toluene, ketones, acetates, denatured alcohol, and other hazardous chemicals) prior to utilizing and or mixing hazardous chemicals. Employees could be exposed to skin burns, fires, inhalation hazards, and eye damage.