Text For Citation: 05 Item/Group: 001A 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: The hazard of inhalation of the toxic pesticide, terbufos, in excess of the recommended ceiling and 8-hour permissible exposure limits and the hazards of exposure to pesticides such as atrazine and terbufos, air embolism, foreign matter entering the body openings, and foreign matter being embedded in the skin. a. A sealer on line No. 1 was exposed to terbufos at a ceiling level of 0.3638 mg/m3, approximately 1.8 times the re- commended permissible ceiling exposure limit of 0.2 mg/m3 and an eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 0.2562 mg/m3, approximately 5.1 times the recommended 8-hour per- missible exposure limit of 0.05 mg/m3. These limits were established to prevent cholinesterase inhibition and the irritating effects of the organophosphate, terbufos. Sampl- ing was conducted for 467 minutes on October 25, 1989. Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of 13 minutes. b. A filler on line No. 1 was exposed to terbufos at a ceiling level 0.2248 mg/m3, approximately 1.1 times the recommended permissible ceiling exposure limit of 0.2 mg/m3 and an eight-hour time-weighted average, (TWA), of 0.1647 mg/m3, approximately 3.3 times the recommended 8-hour permissible exposure limit of 0.05 mg/m3. These limits were established to prevent cholinesterase inhibition and the irritating effects of the organophosphate, terbufos. Sampling was conducted for 408 minutes on December 6, 1989. Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of 72 minutes. c. A box stacker on line No. 1 was exposed to terbufos at an eight-hour time-weighted average, (TWA), of 0.1014 mg/m3, approximately 2.0 times the recommended 8-hour permissible exposure limit 0.05 mg/m3. This limit was established to prevent cholinesterase inhibition and the irritating effects of the organophosphate, terbufos. Sampling was conducted for 417 minutes on December 6, 1989. Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of 63 minutes. d. Employees on lines No. 1 and 4 were allowed to use compressed air to clean foreign matter including atrazine, terbufos, and other pesticides from their clothing and bodies thus exposing them to the hazards of skin absorption of pesticides and contact with compressed air and foreign matter. Feasible and effective abatement can be expected to include, but is not limited to: 1. Inspection, repair, and maintenance of the joints and connections on the transfer piping. 2. Cleaning and decotamination of the line No. 1 mixing floor. 3. Development of an interlocking system for the automatic bag hanger on line No. 1 to prevent discharge of the pesitcide when the bag is not in place. 4. Repair and maintenance of the existing ventilation system to ensure a continuous and unobstructed capture velocity of at least 300 fpm. 5. Increase width of flanges on the slot exhaust system on the bag sealer. 6. Enclose the back of the bag filler area. 7. Increase width of slots while still maintaining at least 300 fpm capture velocity. 8. Enclose conveyor on line No. 1 after bag sealing area. 9. Installation of a holding bin with a vacuum system equipped with high efficiency and organic vapor filters to remove spilled pesticide from line No. 1. 10. Assure that all spills are cleaned with vacuums equipped with high efficiency and organic vapor filters. 11. Installation of an enclosed hood to be used for the filling of bags in boxes during 20g operations. Bags should be filled and sealed under the hood. 12. Installation of a banked ventilation system behind the bag filling area of line No. 1 13. Discontinue use of compressed air for cleaning of personnel and their clothing. 14. Remove the compressed air hose from line No. 4. 15. Place signs on line No. 1 prohibiting the use of compressed air for the cleaning or personnel and their clothing. 16. Inform personnel of this policy. 17. Substitute an alternative cleaning method, such as vacuuming. DISCLAIMERS: A. The employer is not limited to the abatement methods suggested by OSHA. b. The methods explained are general and may not be effective in all cases. c. The employer is responsible for selecting and carrying out an appropriate abatement method. HACO, Inc. was previously cited for a violation of this Occupational Safety and Health Standard which was contained in OSHA Inspection No. 101316123, Citation 3, Item Number 1a, issued on May 3, 1988.