Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 018 Hazard:

29 CFR 1910.1052(e)(1): The employer did not establish a regulated area wherever an employee's exposure to airborne concentrations of methylene chloride exceeded or could reasonably be expected to exceed either the 8-hour Time Weighted Average Permissible Exposure Limit or the Short Term Exposure Limit: a) Facility The employer did not establish a regulated area for employees exposed to methylene chloride while using paint stripper containing 75-80% methylene chloride. Employees using paint stripper containing 75-80% methylene chloride were exposed to methylene chloride at 40.7 parts per million (ppm) and 178.1 parts per million as an 8 hour time weighted average (TWA) concentration which were 1.6 and 7.1 times the permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 25 ppm. Employees were sampled for 381 and 391 minutes respectively with zero exposures assumed for 99 minutes and 89 minutes that were not sampled. An employee using paint stripper containing 75-80% methylene chloride was exposed to methylene chloride at 305.1 parts per million (ppm) as a 15 minute short term exposure concentration which was 2.4 times the short term exposure limit (STEL) of 125 ppm. Violation occurred on or about 12/3/2018.