At 11:00 a.m. on May 23, 2019, an employee removed a regulator from a chlorine gas cylinder to perform yearly maintenance and repacking. When the employee attempted the close the shutoff valve, the valve malfunctioned and stopped turning while still slightly open without the employee’s knowledge. When the employee removed the regulator, chlorine gas escaped. The employee removed himself from the area and donned a full-face respirator with total gas cartridges without inspecting the seals or valves. He proceeded to reenter the area to attempt to close the chlorine cylinder shutoff valve when he began fully, he became overwhelmed by the gas. The employee exited the area to catch his breath before reentry. He repeated this 2 to 3 times before successfully closing the shutoff valve. The employee then left the area, and a coworker called EMS. The employee suffered toxic exposure and chemical burns to the lungs and respiratory system and was hospitalized.
| Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Unclass | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Violations | 3 | 2 | 5 | |||
| Current Violations | 3 | 2 | 5 | |||
| Initial Penalty | $15,260 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $15,260 |
| Current Penalty | $10,682 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $10,682 |
| FTA Amount | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| # | ID | Type | Standard | Issuance | Abate | Curr$ | Init$ | LastEvent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 01001A | Serious |
19100120 Q01 – An emergency response plan shall be developed and implemented to handle anticipated emergencies prior to the commencement of emergency response operations. The plan shall be in writing and available for inspection and copying by employees, their representatives and OSHA personnel. Employers who will evacuate their employees from the danger area when an emergency occurs, and who do not permit any of their employees to assist in handling the emergency, are exempt from the requirements of this paragraph if they provide an emergency action plan in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.38. |
08/05/2019 | 09/16/2019 | $3,759 | $5,370 | I – Informal Settlement |
| 2. | 01001B | Serious |
19100120 Q03 I – The senior emergency response official responding to an emergency shall become the individual in charge of a site-specific Incident Command System (ICS). All emergency responders and their communications shall be coordinated and controlled through the individual in charge of the ICS assisted by the senior official present for each employer. |
08/05/2019 | 09/16/2019 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
| 3. | 01001C | Serious |
19100120 Q06 III – Hazardous materials technicians are individuals who respond to releases or potential releases for the purpose of stopping the release. They assume a more aggressive role than a first responder at the operations level in that they will approach the point of release in order to plug, patch or otherwise stop the release of a hazardous substance. Hazardous materials technicians shall have received at least 24 hours of training equal to the first responder operations level and in addition have competency in the following areas and the employer shall so certify: |
08/05/2019 | 09/16/2019 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
| 4. | 01002A | Serious |
19100134 C01 – 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. |
08/05/2019 | 09/16/2019 | $3,164 | $4,520 | I – Informal Settlement |
| 5. | 01002B | Serious |
19100134 E01 – The employer shall provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee’s ability to use a respirator, before the employee is fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace. The employer may discontinue an employee’s medical evaluations when the employee is no longer required to use a respirator. |
08/05/2019 | 09/16/2019 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
| 6. | 01002C | Serious |
19100134 F01 – The employer shall ensure that employees using a tight-fitting facepiece respirator pass an appropriate qualitative fit test (QLFT) or quantitative fit test (QNFT) as stated in this paragraph. |
08/05/2019 | 09/16/2019 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
| 7. | 01003A | Serious |
19100134 H02 II B – Stored in compartments or in covers that are clearly marked as containing emergency respirators |
08/05/2019 | 09/16/2019 | $3,759 | $5,370 | I – Informal Settlement |
| 8. | 01003B | Serious |
19100134 H03 I B – All respirators maintained for use in emergency situations shall be inspected at least monthly and in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, and shall be checked for proper function before and after each use |
08/05/2019 | 09/16/2019 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
| 9. | 01003C | Serious |
19100134 H04 – The employer shall ensure that respirators that fail an inspection or are otherwise found to be defective are removed from service, and are discarded or repaired or adjusted in accordance with the following procedures: |
08/05/2019 | 09/16/2019 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
| 10. | 02001 | Other |
19101200 E01 – 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: |
08/05/2019 | 09/16/2019 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
| 11. | 02002 | Other |
19101200 F07 – The employer may use signs, placards, process sheets, batch tickets, operating procedures, or other such written materials in lieu of affixing labels to individual stationary process containers, as long as the alternative method identifies the containers to which it is applicable and conveys the information required by paragraph (f)(6) of this section to be on a label. The employer shall ensure the written materials are readily accessible to the employees in their work area throughout each work shift. |
08/05/2019 | 09/16/2019 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
Source: https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=1404020.015
