Cellphone cost two (2) workers their lives inside a PRCS (CH4 & H2S)

At 1:00 p.m. on May 25, 2021, Employee #1 and Employee #2 were conducting maintenance work on a pump above a leachate vault. A coworker dropped a cellphone inside the vault and left to look for a tool to retrieve the cellphone. Employee #1 and Employee #2 entered the vault to retrieve the phone and were overcome by methane and hydrogen sulfide gases and were killed.

Violation Summary
  Serious Willful Repeat Other Total
Initial Violations 8       8
Current Violations 8       8
Initial Penalty $61,384 $0 $0 $0 $61,384
Current Penalty $61,384 $0 $0 $0 $61,384

 

Violation Items
# ID Type Standard Issuance Abate Curr$ Init$ Fta$ Contest LastEvent
1. 01001 Serious

1910.132(d)(2) The employer shall verify that the required

workplace hazard assessment has been performed through

a written certification that identifies the workplace evaluated;

the person certifying that the evaluation has been performed;

the date(s) of the hazard assessment; and, which identifies

the document as a certification of hazard assessment.

11/23/2021 12/20/2021 $7,912 $7,912 $0 12/21/2021 C – Contested
2. 01002A Serious

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.

11/23/2021 01/12/2022 $7,912 $7,912 $0 12/21/2021 C – Contested
3. 01002B Serious

1910.134(d)(1)(i) The employer shall select and provide an

appropriate respirator based on the respiratory hazard(s)

to which the worker is exposed and workplace and user

factors that affect respirator performance and reliability.

11/23/2021 12/20/2021 $0 $0 $0 12/21/2021 C – Contested
4. 01003 Serious

1910.146(c)(1) The employer shall evaluate the workplace

to determine if any spaces are permit-required confined

spaces.

11/23/2021 12/20/2021 $7,912 $7,912 $0 12/21/2021 C – Contested
5. 01004 Serious

1910.146(c)(2) If the workplace contains permit spaces,

the employer shall inform exposed employees, by posting

danger signs or by any other equally effective means, of the

existence and location of and the danger posed by the permit

spaces.

11/23/2021 12/20/2021 $7,912 $7,912 $0 12/21/2021 C – Contested
6. 01005 Serious

1910.146(c)(3) If the employer decides that its employees

will not enter permit spaces, the employer shall take effective

measures to prevent its employees from entering the permit

spaces and shall comply with paragraphs (c)(1), (c)(2), (c)(6),

and (c)(8) of this section.

11/23/2021 12/20/2021 $7,912 $7,912 $0 12/21/2021 C – Contested
7. 01006A Serious 19100146 D 11/23/2021 01/12/2022 $7,912 $7,912 $0 12/21/2021 C – Contested
8. 01006B Serious

1910.146(d)(2) Identify and evaluate the hazards of permit spaces

before employees enter them;

11/23/2021 12/20/2021 $0 $0 $0 12/21/2021 C – Contested
9. 01006C Serious

1910.146(d)(4) Provide the following equipment (specified in

paragraphs (d)(4)(i) through (d)(4)(ix) of this section) at no

cost to employees, maintain that equipment properly, and

ensure that employees use that equipment properly:

11/23/2021 12/20/2021 $0 $0 $0 12/21/2021 C – Contested
10. 01007 Serious

1910.146(g)(1) The employer shall provide training so that

all employees whose work is regulated by this section

acquire the understanding, knowledge, and skills necessary

for the safe performance of the duties assigned under this section.

11/23/2021 12/20/2021 $7,912 $7,912 $0 12/21/2021 C – Contested
11. 01008A Serious

1910.1200(e)(1) 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:

11/23/2021 01/12/2022 $6,000 $6,000 $0 12/21/2021 C – Contested
12. 01008B Serious

1910.1200(h)(1) Employers shall provide employees with effective

information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work

area at the time of their initial assignment, and whenever a new

chemical hazard the employees have not previously been trained

about is introduced into their work area. Information and training

may be designed to cover categories of hazards (e.g., flammability,

carcinogenicity) or specific chemicals. Chemical-specific information

must always be available through labels and safety data sheets.

11/23/2021 12/20/2021 $0 $0 $0 12/21/2021 C – Contested

 

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