OSHA Inspection: FIRST SOLAR, INC.

Issued

2025-04-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $10050.00 · Current $10050.00

Hazardous substances C141

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1027(d)(2)(i): The employer did not monitor employee exposures to cadmium and did not base initial determinations on the monitoring results:  (a) On or about November 6, 2024 - VTD Coater, the employer did not ensure an assessment was performed to determine exposure to Cadmium for employees engaged in activities such as, but not limited to, changing the door seal and cleaning of the chamber. A maintenance employee was exposed to an airborne concentration of Cadmium at 180 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3), approximately 36 times the 8-hour Time Weighted Average OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 5 ug/m3. The sampling was performed during one shift on November 19, 2024, for 58 minutes. The employees were wearing compliant respirators.  (b) On or about November 6, 2024 - VTD Coater, the employer did not ensure an assessment was performed to determine exposure to Cadmium for employees engaged in activities such as, but not limited to, changing the door seal and cleaning of the chamber. A maintenance employee was exposed to an airborne concentration of Cadmium at 156 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3), approximately 31 times the 8-hour Time Weighted Average OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 5 ug/m3. The sampling was performed during one shift on November 19, 2024, for 58 minutes. The employees were wearing compliant respirators.