OSHA Inspection: NORTHSTAR BATTERY COMPANY

Issued

2018-01-02 00:00:00

Abate by

2019-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $12675.00 · Current $6971.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(c)(1): Employee(s) were exposed to lead at concentrations greater than fifty micrograms per cubic meter of air averaged over an eight-hour period:    Employees were exposed to lead at concentrations greater than the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of fifty micrograms per cubic meter (50 ug/m3) of air averaged over and eight-hour period;    (a) On or about September 21, 2017, an employee paste mixing in Sub-Assembly was exposed to airborne lead at a level of 88.9 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air as an eight hour time-weighted average (8 hr. TWA) for a monitoring period of approximately 423 minutes. The remaining un-sampled period of 57 minutes is assumed to have zero exposure.    (b) On or about September 21, 2017, an employee paste mixing in Sub-Assembly was exposed to airborne lead at a level of 216.3 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air as an eight hour time-weighted average (8 hr. TWA) for a monitoring period of approximately 427 minutes. The remaining un-sampled period of 53 minutes is assumed to have zero exposure.    (c) On or about September 21, 2017, an employee paste mixing in Sub-Assembly was exposed to airborne lead at a level of 305.9 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air as an eight hour time-weighted average (8 hr. TWA) for a monitoring period of approximately 477 minutes. The remaining un-sampled period of 3 minutes is assumed to have zero exposure.

Issued

2018-01-02 00:00:00

Abate by

2019-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(e)(1)(i): For any employees exposed to lead above the permissible exposure limit for more than 30 days per year where engineering and work practice controls (including administrative controls) were feasible but did not reduce the employees' exposure to or below the permissible exposure limit the employer did not use engineering and/or work practice controls to reduce exposures to the lowest feasible level:    Employees were exposed to toxic lead. Exposure concentrations were greater than the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of fifty micrograms per cubic meter (50 ug/m3) of air averaged over and eight-hour period for more than 30 days per year. The employer failed to provide engineering and work practice controls that effectively reduced and maintained employee exposure below the OSHA PEL.    (a) On or about September 21, 2017, an employee paste mixing in Sub-Assembly was exposed to airborne lead at a level of 88.9 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air as an eight hour time-weighted average (8 hr. TWA) for a monitoring period of approximately 423 minutes. The remaining un-sampled period of 57 minutes is assumed to have zero exposure.    (b) On or about September 21, 2017, an employee paste mixing in Sub-Assembly was exposed to airborne lead at a level of 216.3 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air as an eight hour time-weighted average (8 hr. TWA) for a monitoring period of approximately 427 minutes. The remaining un-sampled period of 53 minutes is assumed to have zero exposure.    (c) On or about September 21, 2017, an employee paste mixing in Sub-Assembly was exposed to airborne lead at a level of 305.9 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air as an eight hour time-weighted average (8 hr. TWA) for a monitoring period of approximately 477 minutes. The remaining un-sampled period of 3 minutes is assumed to have zero exposure.

Issued

2018-01-02 00:00:00

Abate by

2018-03-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $12675.00 · Current $6971.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(f)(1)(ii): Respirators for protection against lead were not used or were not provided when engineering and/or work-practice controls were not sufficient to reduce employee exposures to or below the permissible exposure limit:    Employees were exposed to hazardous chemicals. Employees working in the sub-assembly area were observed lifting their respirators away from their faces to facilitate communication in the high noise environment. Failing to maintain the face seal could contribute to lead exposure and respirator contamination. Air sampling results indicated lead exposures in the sub-assembly area to be above four times the Permissible Exposure Limit.