Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 002A Hazard:

29 CFR 1910.1047(g)(1): For employees who are required to use respirators by 29 CFR 1910.1047, the employer did not provide each employee an appropriate respirator that complies with the requirements of paragraph 29 CFR 1910.1047(g): At a worksite located at 2610 NE Industrial Drive, North Kansas City, MO: Employees were exposed to toxic or hazardous substances in the form of ethylene oxide (EtO). Exposure concentrations were greater than the OSHA action level of 0.5 parts per million (0.5 ppm) of air averaged over an eight-hour period. The employer failed to implement respiratory protection for employee(s) who are potentially exposed to ethylene oxide in their breathing zone that was representative of the 8-hour time-weighted average of each employee. This was most recently demonstrated on or about August 7, 2024, when an employee in gas injection was exposed to airborne ethylene oxide at a level of 0.72 ppm of air as an 8-hour time-weighted average (8-hour TWA) for a monitoring period of approximately 474 minutes. The remaining un-sampled period of 6 minutes is assumed to have zero exposure. a) In gas injection, respirators were not provided, or their use was not ensured in work operations, such as maintenance and repair activities, vessel cleaning or other activities for which engineering and work practices controls were not feasible, including the changing of ethylene oxide tanks in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.1047(g)(1)(ii) and 1910.1047(g)(1)(iii) b) In gas injection, respirators were not provided, or their use was not ensured during emergencies, such as the unexpected release of ethylene oxide occurrence such as, but not limited to, equipment failure, rupture of containers, or failure of control equipment that is likely to or does result in an unexpected significant release of EtO in accordance with 29 CFR 19101047(g)(1)(iv).