Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: CHEMICAL

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to inhalation hazards from the lack of engineering controls to reduce employees exposures to ammonia: In the following instances, the employer failed to institute engineering controls to reduce employees exposures to ammonia when employees performing the job tasks listed below were exposed to ammonia in excess of the Threshold Limit Value (TLV) of 25 ppm (parts per million) as an eight hour time weighted average (8 hr. TWA) as established by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH 1983-1984). a)Plant #8 Barns, (12/18/98) - Barn crew employee performing daily maintenance in poultry confinement houses was exposed to elevated levels of ammonia. The employees measured eight hour time weighted average (8 hr. TWA) was equal to 41 ppm for the 428 minute sampling period. The employees exposure was 1.6 times the TLV. b)Plant #8 Barns, (12/18/98) - Barn crew employee performing daily maintenance in poultry confinement houses was exposed to elevated levels of ammonia. The employees measured eight hour time weighted average (8 hr. TWA) was equal to 47 ppm for the 451 minute sampling period. The employees exposure was 1.9 times the TLV. c)Plant #4 Barns, (12/29/98) - Barn crew employee performing daily maintenance in poultry confinement houses was exposed to elevated levels of ammonia. The employees measured eight hour time weighted average (8 hr. TWA) was equal to 35 ppm for the 415 minute sampling period. The employees exposure was 1.4 times the TLV. d)Plant #4 Barns, (12/29/98) - Barn crew employee performing daily maintenance in poultry confinement houses was exposed to elevated levels of ammonia. The employees exposure exceeded the eight hour time weighted average (8 hr. TWA) for the 547 minute sampling period and was equal to 43 ppm. Employee exposure was 1.7 times the TLV. e)Plant #3 Barns, (1/6/99) - Barn crew employee performing daily maintenance in poultry confinement houses was exposed to elevated levels of ammonia. The employees exposure exceeded the eight hour time weighted average (8 hr. TWA) for the 529 minute sampling period and was equal to 35 ppm. Employee exposure was 1.4 times the TLV. f)Plant #3 Barns, (1/6/99) - Barn crew employee performing daily maintenance in poultry confinement houses was exposed to elevated levels of ammonia. The employees exposure exceeded the eight hour time weighted average (8 hr. TWA) for the 509 minute sampling period and was equal to 51 ppm. Employee exposure was 2 times the TLV. g)Plant #3 Barns, (1/6/99) - Barn crew employee performing daily maintenance in poultry confinement houses was exposed to elevated levels of ammonia. The employees exposure exceeded the eight hour time weighted average (8 hr. TWA)for the 554 minute sampling period and was equal to 39 ppm. Employee exposure was 1.5 times the TLV. h)Plant #2 Barns, (1/7/99) - Barn crew employee performing daily maintenance in poultry confinement houses was exposed to elevated levels of ammonia. The employees exposure exceeded the eight hour time weighted average (8 hr. TWA) for the 539 minute sampling period and was equal to 42 ppm. Employee exposure was 1.7 times the TLV. i)Plant #2 Barns, (1/7/99) - Barn crew employee performing daily maintenance in poultry confinement houses was exposed to elevated levels of ammonia. The employees exposure exceeded the eight hour time weighted average (8 hr. TWA) for the 534 minute sampling period and was equal to 40 ppm. Employee exposure was 1.6 times the TLV. Instantaneous colorimetric readings indicated that the ACGIH (1983-1984) Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL) of 35 ppm may be regularly exceeded. Instantaneous readings in excess of the STEL included; DateTimeReadingLocation 12/10/982:30 p.m.60 ppmMiddle of Barn 80 12/10/982:38 p.m.80 ppmMiddle of Barn 81 12/10/982:50 p.m.45 ppmMiddle of Barn 85 12/10/983:00 p.m.85 ppmMiddle of Barn 84 12/10/983:05 p.m.50 ppmMiddle of Barn 86 12/17/983:05 p.m.60 ppmMiddle of Barn 85 12/18/989:05 a.m.50 ppmEgg conveyor aisleway, Barn 84, adjacent to Barnman 12/18/989:14 a.m.50 ppmNorth corner, end of Barn 85, adjacent to Barnman 12/18/9810:33 a.m.60 ppmEgg conveyor aisleway, Barn 86, adjacent to Barnman 12/18/983:00 p.m.75 ppmEgg conveyor aisleway, Barn 84, adjacent to Barnman 12/29/988:33 a.m.50 ppmNear end of Barn 43, east wall, adjacent to Barnman 12/29/988:55 a.m.100 ppmMiddle of Barn 47 12/29/9811:10 a.m.50 ppmCorridor adjacent to Tool Room, between Barns 42-43 and 44-45 12/29/9811:17 a.m.50 ppmMiddle of Barn 40 12/29/9811:30 a.m.60 ppmMiddle of Barn 41 1/6/998:53 a.m.45 ppmEgg conveyor aisleway, Barn 341/7/998:35 a.m.70 ppmEgg conveyor aisleway, Barn 22 1/7/998:57 a.m.50 ppmMiddle of Barn 25 1/7/999:12 a.m.40 ppmMiddle of Barn 27 Abatement Note: Among other methods, some feasible and acceptable methods to reduce or eliminate employee exposure include, but are not necessarily limited to: 1.Frequent cleanout of deep pit barns (ex. between each flock - every approximately 60 weeks) 2. Improved ventilation in deep pit barns. This may include increasing ventilation rates, moving exhaust fans from cage level to pit level, arrange for closure of "gaps" below chicken cages and design for make-up air from one side of the pit to push/pull air across the pit and out opposite side, close doors between barns to allow more efficient operation of barn exhaust fans. 3. Application treatments to manure in pit that include peat, vermiculite, or alum.