Document mbrK3djV7gXmwLOmbjQNvqX8J

PLAINTIFFS EXHIBIT ETERNAL CORR^S?CAmCE UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION COATINGS MATERIALS DIVISION P. 0. BOX 3370, BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS 78520 To Compiny Location Copy to j. l. Wyatt Dm November 19, 1981 Originating Oapt. Anawaring lattar data SiAjoct R. R. Rankin A. L. Walker T. P. Raby R. C. Glock/S. J. Footer/ W. W. McManus OSHA Iadus trial Hygiene Occupational Health inso. On November 2, 1981, the Brownsville Union Carbide Coating's Materials Plant was informed by compliance officer, Sharon Ratliff, that she had arrived to perform a comprehensive Industrial Hygiene OSHA inspection. This inspection also included Brown & Root maintenance personnel activities. The inspection continued on and off until the afternoon of November 17, 1981, when she conducted the OSHA Closing Conference. Ms. Ratliff informed Mr. Don Hockaday that this conference would be Brown & Root's initial Closing Conference and that the final Brown & Root Closing Conference would be held when the sample results are received and evaluated. Ms. Ratliff informed the group that ahe was impressed with our Industrial Hygiene Occupational Health Program, that there were no deficiencies and no citations would be issued. Attached is a chronology of the inspection prepared by Mario Gutierrez which cpvers the event very well. Very truly yours. K. Gran Townsend KGT/la DE 000112 INTERNAL CORRESPONDENCE UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION COATINGS MATERIALS DIVISION P. 0. BOX 3370, BROWNSVILLE. TEXAS 78520 To (Name) K. G. Towns fend Company . Brownsville Plant Location DM* November 18, 1981 Originating Dpt. Anawarlng lattar data Subject QSHA Inspection Chronology Copy to November 2, 1981 - At 1000 hours 0SHA inspector Sharon Ratliff showed up at the plant and presented her credentials to the receptionist, who then called the appropriate persons. The opening conference was held in the main office conference room. Those present were: Jack Wyatt, SHARE Department Head; Ben Brown, Safety Director; and this writer. She presented her credentials to each individual and they were In order. She explained that her visit was due to our industry having an SIC Code which was on a top priority list. The Inspection would be routine wallto-wall and cover all workers, including Brown & Root Maintenance. At this time we called Don Hockaday, Brown & Root Superintendent, to join the proceedings. She again presented her credentials to Don and explained her visit. It was then explained to her that Linde was a separate division of Union Carbide Corporation and that they only had an air separation plant on the premises, which would have a different SIC Code Number and we saw no reason to include them in the Inspection. She agreed to have Linde left out of the inspection entirely. She then went in to talk to R. C. Glock, APM, saying she would return at 1300 hours to begin the walk-through inspection. At 1300 hours Sharon Ratliff returned to the plant and we met in the conference room where Jack Wyatt described theprocess using block diagrams on the chalk board. At 1330 hours Miss Ratliff,Don Hockaday, and this writer started the inspection. We began at the Energy area In the boiler control room where she selected operator Ken J. Merath forquestioning. He explained that all the operators work on the different jobs on a rotating basis, and that he was presently^ the powerhouse operator and described his duties in detail. He was also able to describe the duties of the boiler control room operator and the outside boiler operator. She wanted to know in particular of any routine duties where the operators could possibly come in contact with any chemicals. He then vent on to explain that the powerhouse operator is responsible for mixing the boiler additive chemicals which include sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfite, amines and corn starch. He also explained the amounts Involved which vary from zero to a few pounds per day, and he also explained to her all the extra safety precautions that are taken when pre paring these chemicals, sxlch as the wearing of gloves, face shield and apron. DE 000113 OSHA Inspection -3- November 18, 1981 From here we proceeded to the machine shop where Don Hockaday explained to her the different kinds of jobs which are carried out here. She was also shown the tool room and the motor pump room at the old welding shop. The only questions she had here was why one of the machinists was wearing disposable coveralls, and it seemed that he was working on oxygen service equipment. It was then explained to her that it was more to* keep the equipment clean rather than to keep the employee clean. Movwi>ftr 3. 1981 OSHA inspector Sharon Ratliff arrived at 1000 hours. We proceeded to Don Hockaday*s office. From there we drove to Reaction #2 area where she talked with operator Margie Kuehler. She questioned her about her duties and the number of samples that she takes on a routine basis. - Margie showed her a sample check list that shows all the different samples that are taken on a routine basis, and then she showed her the different kinds of chemicals involved in the different samples. She also talked to Bob Lewis, Batch Still operator, who was running the Batch Still at the time. He also told her about the routine sampling in the Batch Still area. From there we proceeded to a tour of the outside of Reaction #2 area, where she saw the actual sample taps where the various samples are taken. We then went to the Batch Still area where again we just walked around. From here we proceeded to the Reaction #1 control room where she talked with operator Fernando San Miguel, again covering the routine sampling and number of samples in volved and how long it takes to collect samples on a dally basis. From here we proceeded to the sand and paint yard where she talked to A1 Arizmendi and Johnie Hunt about the various duties of the sandblasters and painters. She was particularly interested in knowing whether any sandblasting or painting jobs were going on out in the units or whether they were strictly here in the sand yard. She was also shown the working air compressor and the receiver that are used to supply air for the sandblasters hoods as well as for sandblast nozzles. She was also shown the Bullard air filter with carbon monoxide detector tube attached and we explained that this was fabricated in the plant. She asked how often the air was checked for carbon monoxide and A1 Arizmendi told her that they checked it twice a day. She also inquired about the different types of paints that are used through out the plant. Later on she said that perhaps she may want to take personnel samples on the sandblasters and on the painters, and for this reason she wanted to know the types of paint that were being used and also whether the sand contained silica. At 1300 hours our first stop was at my office where she examined some of the audit and inspection sheets that we use throughout the plant. She also examined the procedures manuals and various procedures that are used. At 1345 hours we went to Don Hockaday' a office and then we proceeded to the Recovery area. In the control room she talked with Larry Jordan, operator, about the duties of the different operators and he explained to her that these operators also rotate all the different jobs and that there normally is one outside operator for each unit and two people working the board. She particularly wanted to know the sampling schedule and the amount of time required to collect samples for each unit. A sampling check list was shown her with all the different samples that are collected on a daily, bi-weekly or weekly basis. DE 000114 OSHA Inspection. November 9. 1931 -5 November 18. 1981 All Che samplers vere picked up at around 4 PM. She packed them up and left. She vill be calling back (phone) on Thursday, November 12, 1981. November 17. 1981 At 0800 hours Sharon Ratliff, OSHA Inspector, arrived at the plant. He vent to Don Hockaday's office and from there to the velding shop. She put a super sampler and cassette on Alfredo Bermudez who was going to be welding stainless steel all day. She also placed a super sampler cassette on Robert Garcia, who was also going to be welding stainless steel all day. He then proceeded to the sand yard where she questioned Chico Arizmendi on the sand blasting procedure. She also questioned Ed Becerra on pot tending procedure and on wearing respirators while sandblasting is going on. She was apparently satisfied as to the answers given and decided that there would be no need to do any further sampling here. She said that she wanted to hold the final closing conference with Union Carbide today and the initial closing conference with Brown & Root also today. I made the arrangements with the proper persons and a time was set for 1430. At the closing conference personnel present were: R. C. Glock, Assistant Plant Manager; Don Hockaday, Brown & Root Superintendent; Jack Wyatt, SHARE Department Head; Ben Brown, Safety Director; Don Haley, future Safety Director and Shift Administrator; K. G. Townsend, Senior Industrial Hygienist; and this writer. She first said that for Union Carbide we have a good program and since we do our own monitoring and the results were shown to her, there was nothing that she could find that was wrong. She did say, however, that she may be calling on us in a few days to get some other questions answered that her supervisor may have occasion to ask her. But that, however, that would be done over the phone. For Brown & Root she mentioned that the only results she had at the time were those on the Audio-dosimeters and that there was no excessive noise exposures on any of them. She also mentioned, however that it would take approximately 6 weeks before she would have the welding fumes and paint fumes results, but that barring those results, everything was all right. She did however recoomend to Brown & Root that perhaps their corporate industrial hygienist look into audiograms for the personnel in 1982, when the new standard is due to go into effect. She also praised our respiratory protection program as being the best she had ever seen. With this the conference ended. At 4 o'clock we yent to the welding shop where she picked up her samplers. She packed them up and left the plant. MG:mfw Mario Gutierrez DEOQ01J5