Top 5 Cited Regulations in Cement and Concrete Manufacturing.
Blog Series Don’t Wait for the Fine Identifies Common Violations in Concrete Manufacturing.
According to the statistics from the Department of Labor, in 2016 there were 526 citations issues the NAICS Code 3273: cement and concrete product manufacturing. The total amount in fines levied was $1.03 million. In this part of the series, Don’t Wait for the Fine, we will highlight the top five cited regulations in our industry.
- With 61 citations, Respiratory Protection (1910.134) is number one. Silicosis is a serious disease that affects the lungs. It is caused by breathing dust that contains respirable silica or silica quartz. Where concentrations of dust exceed the permissible exposure limit, action is required. Cutting and grinding concrete is a major source of dust containing silica. Controls such as the use of water to limit airborne dust, and protective equipment such as a respirator, may be necessary. All manufacturers are required to assess the hazards of the workplace. Fines in this area totaled $61,354.
- Coming in at number two is Hazard Communication (1910.1200) with 56 citations. This regulation had the highest level of fines levied at $100,661. Employees have a right to know about the chemicals they are exposed to. Safety Data Sheets are required to be present for all chemicals used in the workplace. Employees are to be trained in understanding SDSs and container labels to know the hazards associated with each product.
- Number three, with 34 citations, is Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178). Forklifts in the precast industry are huge and deadly. OSHA fined our industry $74,402 for the failure to comply with this rule. All operators of powered industrial trucks must be trained and evaluated by the company. Re-evaluation is required at least every three years.
- Number four is the Control of Hazardous Energy or Lockout/Tagout (1910.147). There were 32 citations of this regulation. This is a common top five cited violation in all General Industry. OSHA levied a total of $74,281 in citations. Equipment must be de-energized by an authorized person before maintenance and cleaning operations can take place where a person will bypass safety guards. To be authorized, the person must be trained, the process must be documented, and the process must be evaluated annually by a competent person.
- Rounding out the top five with 27 citations is Ladders (1910.23). This is related to the requirements for Walking and Working Surfaces in General Industry. The fines were the second highest at $81,993. Walking and working surfaces are typically the second leading cause of fatalities in the workplace, second only to traffic deaths. On January 17, 2017, a revised standard for walking and working surfaces became law. This standard will likely continue to be one of the top-cited regulations in the precast concrete industry.
Find Technical Data Sheets, Safety Data Sheets, and Certificates of Conformance for every ConSeal product.