Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 004E Hazard:

29 CFR 1910.1053(i)(2): The employer did not make available an initial (baseline) medical examination within 30 days after initial assignment when the employee had not received a medical examination that meets the requirements of this section within the last three years. In the sandblasting booth area at 22 Mount Dumplin Rd. Palmer, MA: On July 21, 2023, and at times prior, the employer did not ensure that employees, who conduct sandblasting operations, are provided an initial baseline medical examination, prior to performing such duties, and then one every three years thereafter. The examination shall consist of a medical and work history with an emphasis on past, present, and anticipated exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS), a physical examination, a chest x-ray, a pulmonary function test to include forced vital capacity, testing for latent tuberculosis, and other tests deemed necessary by the physician or other licensed health care professional (PLHCP). Personal air sampling results revealed that employees are exposed to airborne RCS at an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) concentration of 285.17 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3) during abrasive sandblasting operations. The permissible exposure limit is 50 ug/m3 as an 8-hour TWA.