OSHA Inspection: CHEMIPLASTICA, INC.

Issued

2016-12-22 00:00:00

Abate by

2017-05-08 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $6057.00 · Current $3029.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 12901291

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(d)(3)(i)(A): The employer did not complete a compilation of process safety information (PSI) pertaining to the material of construction of equipment in the process:  a) In the wet end portion of the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street Easthampton, MA: On or about September 22, 2016, the employer did not complete a compilation of PSI pertaining to the material of construction of the Formaldehyde solution weigh tank.  b) In the wet end section of the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street Easthampton, MA: On or about September 22, 2016, the employer did not complete a compilation of PSI pertaining to the material of construction of reactor tank #1.

Issued

2016-12-22 00:00:00

Abate by

2017-05-08 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 12901291

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(d)(3)(i)(B): The employer did not include all equipment that was part of the process on piping and instrument diagrams (P&IDs):  In the wet end section at 238 Nonotuck Street Florence, MA: On or about September 22, 2016, the employer did not include a sight glass in the P&ID and the sight glass was located between valves FSV30 and FSV31.  In the wet end section at 238 Nonotuck Street Florence, MA: On or about September 22, 2016, the employer did not include the emergency shut-off on the P&ID and there was an emergency shut-off in the "doghouse" near the Formaldehyde storage tank and near Mill #5.

Issued

2016-12-22 00:00:00

Abate by

2017-05-08 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $6057.00 · Current $3029.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1290

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(e)(3)(vii): The process hazard analysis (PHA) did not address a qualitative evaluation of a range of the possible safety and health effects of failure of controls on employees in the workplace.  a) In the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street Florence, MA: On or about August 15, 2016, the PHA did not address a qualitative evaluation of a range of possible health and safety hazards of Formaldehyde exposure due to a failure of controls during Formaldehyde tanker truck bulk deliveries.  b) In the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street Florence, MA: On or about August 15, 2016, the PHA did not address a qualitative evaluation of a range of possible health and safety hazards of Formaldehyde exposure due to thermocouple failure and misidentification of the failure due to programmable logic controller (PLC) logic issues.  c) In the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street Florence, MA: On or about August 15, 2016, the PHA did not address a qualitative evaluation of a range of possible health and safety hazards of Formaldehyde exposure due to a high temperature condition of the reactor prior to the introduction of melamine.

Issued

2016-12-22 00:00:00

Abate by

2017-05-08 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 1290

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(e)(5): The employer did not establish a system to promptly address the process hazard analysis (PHA) team's findings and recommendations.  In the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street Florence, MA: On or about August 15, 2016, the employer had not established a system to promptly address the PHA team's findings and recommendations for the fifteen (15) recommendations in the 2015 PHA revalidation in that the findings and recommendations were assigned target completion dates in the 2015 calendar year but the completion and the target dates were not tracked or updated.

Issued

2016-12-22 00:00:00

Abate by

2017-06-20 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $12471.00 · Current $6236.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 12901291

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(j)(4)(i): The employer did not perform inspection and tests on process equipment:  a) The Formaldehyde above ground storage tank at 238 Nonotuck Street Florence, MA: On or about September 13, 2016, an external inspection (under the insulation) of the storage tank was not accomplished and testing of the tank was not performed since April 18, 2001.  b) The Formaldehyde weigh tank at 238 Nonotuck Street Florence, MA: On or about September 13, 2016, the employer did not perform inspection and testing on the Formaldehyde weigh tank in the wet end department on the third floor of the facility.  c) The Formaldehyde supply and return piping at 238 Nonotuck Street Florence, MA: On or about September 13, 2016, the employer did not perform inspection and testing on the Formaldehyde solution supply and return piping in the facility.  d) The wet end reactor at 238 Nonotuck Street Florence, MA: On or about September 13, 2016, the employer did not perform inspection and testing on reactor #1 in the wet end department on the third floor of the facility.

Issued

2016-12-22 00:00:00

Abate by

2017-03-27 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $12471.00 · Current $6236.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(a): Protective equipment was not used when necessary whenever hazards capable of causing injury and impairment were encountered:  In the Buttners Work industrial dryer at 238 Nonotuck Street Florence, MA:  On or about August 12, 2016, the employer did not ensure that fall protection was used by a wet end operator exposed to a fall hazard while descending into the dryer for the purpose of weekly cleaning.  The height of the of the dryer from the upper access hatch on the top of the dryer to the dryer drum hatch was five (5) feet and the height from the dryer drum hatch to the bottom of the dryer was sixteen (16) feet.

Issued

2016-12-22 00:00:00

Abate by

2017-03-27 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $7572.00 · Current $3786.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(c)(1): The employer did not evaluate the workplace to determine if any spaces were permit-required confined spaces:  The Buttner Works industrial dryer at 238 Nonotuck Street Florence, MA: On or about August 15, 2016, the employer had not identified the industrial dryer as a permit-required confined space and the dryer contained a five foot (5) and sixteen foot (16) fall hazard.

Issued

2016-12-22 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $6057.00 · Current $3029.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8870

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(b)(1)(ii): Unused openings in boxes, cabinets, or fittings were not effectively closed:  The wet end section of the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street Florence, MA:  On or about June 30, 2016, the cable tray and control panel for the Wet End reactor temperature control system and Formaldehyde pump select control panels contained openings where electrical knockouts had been removed and not replaced.

Issued

2016-12-22 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 1293

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1048(d)(2): The employer did not determine the short-term limit (STEL) exposure of employees who may have been exposed at or above the STEL:  In the wet end section of the facility at 238 Nonotuck Street Florence, MA: On September 13, 2016, and at times prior, the employer did not determine the STEL exposure of wet end operators while producing Formaldehyde and Melamine-based plastic resin.

Issued

2016-12-22 00:00:00

Abate by

2017-01-27 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 12901291

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3)(iii)(B)(2): The employer did not implement a change schedule for respirators not equipped with an End of Service Life Indicator that would ensure cartridges were changed before the end of their service life:  In the Wet End section at 238 Nonotuck Street Florence: On or about June 30, 2016, the employer provided air-purifying respirators to employees working with Formaldehyde solution in the Wet End; however, two operators did not know that a change schedule had been developed by the employer to change respirator cartridges after every three (3) hours of use.