Text For Citation: 02 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 overexposures to ammonia: In the following instances, 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 34 1/7/998:35 a.m.70 ppmEgg conveyor aisleway, Barn 221/7/998:57 a.m.50 ppmMiddle of Barn 25 1/7/999:12 a.m.40 ppmMiddle of Barn 27 DECOSTER EGG FARMS AND ITS SUCCESSORS WAS PREVIOUSLY CITED FOR A VIOLATION OF THIS OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARD OR ITS EQUIVALENT STANDARD, SECTION 5(A)(1), WHICH WAS CONTAINED IN OSHA INSPECTION NUMBER 122375512, CITATION NUMBER 2, ITEM 79A, ISSUED ON 07/12/96, WITH RESPECT TO A WORKPLACE LOCATED IN TURNER, MAINE.,