OSHA Inspection: PPG INDUSTRIES, INC.

Issued

2023-06-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-07-03 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $15625.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.119(c)(3): Employers shall provide to employees and their representatives access to process hazard analyses and to all other information required to be developed under this standard.  a. On or about January 12, 2023, and at times prior, the employer did not provide employees and their representatives access to process hazard analyses and to all other information required to be developed under this standard such as, but not limited to, the incident report regarding the MIBK Recovery Unit (MRU) spill that occurred on or about December 30, 2022, process safety information covered by 29 CFR 1910.119(d) related to the MRU, and written operating procedures covered by 29 CFR 1910.119(f) related to the MRU. Employees working on and in the vicinity of the MRU covered process were exposed to fire, explosion, and contact hazards.

Issued

2023-06-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-07-11 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $15625.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(f): Operating procedures.  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 following elements.  29 CFR 1910.119(f)(1)(i): Steps for each operating phase:  29 CFR 1910.119(f)(1)(i)(D): Emergency shutdown including the conditions under which emergency shutdown is required, and the assignment of shutdown responsibility to qualified operators to ensure that emergency shutdown is executed in a safe and timely manner.  a. On or about December 29, 2022, and at times prior, the employer did not ensure that it's procedure for emergency shutdown for the Stripper Building/MIBK Recovery Unit (MRU) covered processes included all of the necessary steps and was properly implemented with affected employees. The emergency shutdown procedure for the Stripper Building/MRU did not include the use of the "emergency stop" buttons in the procedure or the steps on how to shut down the MRU. Employees working on and in the vicinity of the MRU covered process were exposed to fire, explosion, and contact hazards.

Issued

2023-06-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-07-26 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

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 following elements.  29 CFR 1910.119(f)(1)(ii): Operating limits:  29 CFR 1910.119(f)(1)(ii)(A): Consequences of deviation.  a. On or about December 29, 2022, and at times prior, the employer's operating procedures for the MIBK Recovery Unit (MRU) covered process did not include the safe operating limits and associated consequences of deviation. Operating procedures did not include consequences of deviation such as, but not limited to, overflow and high levels of material, leaking of material into conservation vents, and pressure increase during covered process operations. Employees working on and in the vicinity of the MRU covered process were exposed to fire, explosion, and contact hazards.

Issued

2023-06-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-07-26 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

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 following elements.  29 CFR 1910.119(f)(1)(ii): Operating limits:  29 CFR 1910.119(f)(1)(ii)(B): Steps required to correct or avoid deviation.  a. On or about December 29, 2022, and at times prior, the employer's operating procedures for the MIBK Recovery Unit (MRU) covered process did not include steps required to correct or avoid deviation such as, but not limited to, overflow of material, high levels of material, leaking of material into conservation vents, and pressure increase in the various pieces of equipment during operation. Employees working on and in the vicinity of the MRU covered process were exposed to fire, explosion, and contact hazards.

Issued

2023-06-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-07-26 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

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 following elements.  29 CFR 1910.119(f)(1)(iv): Safety systems and their functions.  a. On or about December 29, 2022, and at times prior, the employer's operating procedures for the MIBK Recovery Unit (MRU) covered process did not include safety systems and their functions such as, but not limited to, high-level alarms, high-level transmitters, and high-level devices as well as their associated high-level interlocks. These included, but were not limited to, LSH-S873, LSH-S884, LSH-994(LSH-998), LAH-S954, LAH-S956, LT-S884, and LT-S966. Employees working on and in the vicinity of the MRU covered process were exposed to fire, explosion, and contact hazards.

Issued

2023-06-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-07-11 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $15625.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(g): Training -  29 CFR 1910.119(g)(1): Initial training.  29 CFR 1910.119(g)(1)(i): 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 this section. 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 December 29, 2022, and at times prior, the training for operators of the MIBK Recovery Unit (MRU) covered process did not include adequate training in the operating procedures such as, but not limited to, the appropriate steps to take to address deviations from normal operations, steps for emergency shut down, and steps to take for normal shut down. As a result, employees working on and in the vicinity of the MRU covered process were exposed to fire, explosion, and contact hazards.

Issued

2023-06-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-07-26 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $15625.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(j): Mechanical integrity -  29 CFR 1910.119(j)(2): Written procedures. The employer shall establish and implement written procedures to maintain the on-going integrity of process equipment.  a. On or about December 29, 2022, and at times prior, the employer did not ensure that written procedures were established and implemented for maintaining the on-going integrity of the process equipment such as, but not limited to, the MIBK Recovery Unit (MRU) covered process and its associated safety controls, such as, but not limited to, high-level alarms, high-level transmitters, high-level devices as well and their associated high-level interlocks, and the physical emergency stop outside of the Stripper Building. These included, but were not limited to, LSH-S873, LSH-S884, LSH-994(LSH-998), LAH-S954, LAH-S956, LT-S884, and LT-S966. Employees working on and in the vicinity of the MRU covered process were exposed to fire, explosion, and contact hazards.

Issued

2023-06-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-07-11 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $15625.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.119(j)(3): Training for process maintenance activities. The employer shall train each employee involved in maintaining the on-going integrity of process equipment in an overview of that process and its hazards and in the procedures applicable to the employee's job tasks to assure that the employee can perform the job tasks in a safe manner.  a. On or about December 29, 2022, and at times prior, the employer did not ensure that all employees involved in maintaining the on-going integrity of process equipment such as, but not limited to, the MIBK Recovery Unit (MRU) covered process and its associated equipment, were trained in its hazards and in the procedures applicable to their job tasks to assure performance of these tasks in a safe manner. Employees performed tasks such as, but not limited to, inspections/ "proof tests" of the high-level alarms, high-level transmitters, high-level devices and their associated interlocks, and the physical emergency stop on the exterior of the Stripper Building. These included, but were not limited to, LSH-S873, LSH-S884, LSH-994(LSH-998), LAH-S954, LAH-S956, LT-S884, and LT-S966. Employees working on and in the vicinity of the MRU covered process were thereby exposed to fire, explosion, and contact hazards.

Issued

2023-06-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-07-26 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1378.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(2): The chemical manufacturer or importer preparing the safety data sheet shall ensure that it is in English (although the employer may maintain copies in other languages as well), and includes at least the following section numbers and headings, and associated information under each heading, in the order listed (See Appendix D to � 1910.1200 - Safety Data Sheets, for the specific content of each section of the safety data sheet):  29 CFR  1910.1200(g)(2)(ix): Section 9, Physical and chemical properties.  a. On or about January 12, 2023, and at times prior, the employer did not ensure that their safety data sheets for their manufactured highly flammable chemicals included all physical and chemical properties such as, but not limited to, vapor pressure. These chemicals included, but were not limited to, Dry Cationic Distillate (Product Code: SKH-8690/INT), Dry MIBK (Product Code: SZ-86-2338), and Wet Cationic Distillate (Product Code: SZ-91-6800).