Section 129.103. Work practice standards

(a) Work practice implementation plan. Within 60 days after the compliance date specified in § 129.101(b) or (c) (relating to general provisions and applicability), an owner or operator of a facility subject to the requirements in this section and § § 129.101, 129.102 and 129.104—129.107 shall:

(1) Prepare and maintain a written work practice implementation plan that defines work practices for each wood furniture manufacturing operation and addresses the provisions in subsections (b)—(j). The owner or operator of the facility shall comply with the work practice implementation plan.

(2) Make available the written work practice implementation plan for inspection by the Department upon request. If the Department determines that the work practice implementation plan does not adequately address the criteria specified in subsections (b)—(j), the Department may require that the facility owner or operator modify the plan.

(b) Operator training program. New and existing personnel, including contract personnel, who are involved in coating, cleaning or washoff operations or implementation of the requirements of this section, § § 129.101, 129.102 and 129.104—129.107 shall complete an operator training program.

(1) For a facility subject to § 129.101(b), new personnel hired after June 10, 2000, shall be trained upon hiring. For a facility subject to the requirements of § 129.101(c), new personnel shall be trained upon hiring.

(2) For a facility subject to § 129.101(b), existing personnel hired before June 10, 2000, shall be trained by December 11, 2000. For a facility subject to § 129.101(c), existing personnel shall be trained at least 6 months before the compliance date.

(3) Personnel shall be given refresher training annually.

(4) A copy of the written operator training program shall be maintained with the work practice implementation plan. The operator training program shall include the following:

(i) A list of all current personnel by name and job description that are required to be trained.

(ii) An outline of the subjects to be covered in the initial and annual refresher training sessions for each position or group of personnel.

(iii) Lesson plans for courses to be given at the initial and annual refresher training sessions that include, at a minimum, appropriate application techniques, appropriate cleaning and washoff procedures, appropriate equipment setup and adjustment to minimize coating usage and overspray and appropriate management of cleanup wastes.

(iv) A description of the methods to be used at the completion of the initial or annual refresher training sessions to demonstrate and document successful completion.

(v) A record of the date each employe is trained.

(c) Leak inspection and maintenance plan. An owner or operator of a facility shall prepare and maintain with the work practice implementation plan a written leak inspection and maintenance plan which shall include the following:

(1) A minimum visual inspection frequency of once per month for all equipment used to transfer or apply coatings or solvents.

(2) An inspection schedule.

(3) The methods for documenting the date and results of each inspection and any repairs that were made.

(4) The time frame between identifying a leak and making the repair, which shall adhere to the following schedule:

(i) A first attempt at repairs, including tightening of packing glands, shall be made within 5 working days after the leak is detected.

(ii) Final repairs shall be made within 15 working days, unless the leaking equipment is to be replaced by a new purchase, in which case repairs shall be completed within 3 months.

(d) Cleaning and washoff solvent accounting system. A solvent accounting form shall be developed to account for solvents used in cleaning and washoff operations. The information recorded on the form shall include the following:

(1) The total number of pieces processed through washoff operations each month and the reason for the washoff operations.

(2) The name and total quantity of each solvent used each month for:

(i) Cleaning activities.

(ii) Washoff operations.

(3) The name and total quantity of each solvent evaporated to the atmosphere each month from:

(i) Cleaning activities.

(ii) Washoff operations.

(e) Spray booth cleaning. An owner or operator of a facility may not use compounds containing more than 8.0% by weight of VOC for cleaning spray booth components other than conveyors, continuous coaters and their enclosures, or metal filters, unless the spray booth is being refurbished. If the spray booth is being refurbished, that is, the spray booth coating or other material used to cover the booth is being replaced, the facility shall use no more than 1.0 gallon of solvent to prepare the booth prior to applying the booth coating.

(f) Storage requirements. An owner or operator of a facility shall use normally closed containers for storing coating, cleaning and washoff materials.

(g) Application equipment requirements. An owner or operator of a facility may not use conventional air spray guns to apply coatings except under any of the following circumstances:

(1) To apply coatings that have a VOC content no greater than 1.0 lb VOC/lb solids (1.0 kg VOC/kg solids), as applied.

(2) For touch-up and repair coatings under one of the following circumstances:

(i) The coatings are applied after completion of the wood furniture manufacturing operation.

(ii) The coatings are applied after the stain and before any other type of coating is applied, and the coatings are applied from a container that has a volume of no more than 2.0 gallons.

(3) The spray is automated, that is, the spray gun is aimed and triggered automatically, not manually.

(4) The emissions from the surface coating process are directed to a VOC control system.

(5) The conventional air spray gun is used to apply coatings and the cumulative total usage of those coatings is no more than 5.0% of the total gallons of coating used during each semiannual reporting period.

(6) The conventional air spray gun is used to apply stain on a part for which the Department notifies the operator, in writing, of its determination that it is technically or economically infeasible to use any other spray application technology. To support the facility’s claim of technical or economic infeasibility, a videotape, a technical report or other documentation shall be submitted to the Department showing either independently or in combination, the following:

(i) The production speed is too high or the part shape is too complex for one operator to coat the part, and the application station is not large enough to accommodate an additional operator.

(ii) The excessively large vertical spray area of the part makes it difficult to avoid sagging or runs in the stain.

(h) Line cleaning. The solvent used for line cleaning shall be pumped or drained into a normally closed container.

(i) Spray gun cleaning. The solvent used to clean spray guns shall be collected into a normally closed container.

(j) Washoff operations. The emissions from washoff operations shall be controlled by the following:

(1) Using normally closed containers for washoff operations.

(2) Minimizing dripping by tilting or rotating the part to drain as much solvent as possible.

The provisions of this § 129.103 adopted June 9, 2000, effective June 10, 2000, 30 Pa.B. 2995.

Notation

Authority

The provisions of this § 129.103 issued under section 5(a)(1) of the Air Pollution Control Act (35 P. S. § 4005(a)(1)).

Cross References

This section cited in 25 Pa. Code § 121.1 (relating to definitions); 25 Pa. Code § 129.52c (relating to control of VOC emissions from flat wood paneling surface coating processes); 25 Pa. Code § 129.91 (relating to control of major sources of NO_x and VOCs); 25 Pa. Code § 129.101 (relating to general provisions and applicability); 25 Pa. Code § 129.102 (relating to emission standards); 25 Pa. Code § 129.104 (relating to compliance procedures and monitoring requirements); 25 Pa. Code § 129.105 (relating to recordkeeping requirements); and 25 Pa. Code § 129.107 (relating to special provisions for facilities using an emissions averaging approach).