OSHA Inspection: ARAMARK CLEANROOM SERVICES PUERTO RICO INC

Issued

Apr 26, 2010

Abate by

May 20, 2010

Penalty

Initial $700

General-duty citation text

Section 6(a) of the Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and Health Act:  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 physical harm to employees in
that employees were
exposed to:
Seccion 6(a) de la Ley de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo de Puerto Rico:
El patrono no
proveyo empleo y un sitio de empleo libre de riesgos reconocidos que esten
causando o que
puedan causar muerte o dano fisico a los empleados, por cuanto empleados
estaban expuestos
a:
Note: The Threshold Limit Values (TLV's) of the American Conference of
Governmental
Industrial Hygienists is an industry recognized guideline used to assist
in the control of
health hazards.
Reference: The Threshold Limit Values Edition 2001, Page 173, Table 4:
Guidelines
for
Limiting Heat Strain. Excessive heat strain may be marked by body core
temperature is
greater than 38.5 degrees Celcius (101.3 degrees Farenheit) for medically
selected and
acclimatized personnel; or greater than 38 degrees Celcius (100.4 degrees
Farenheit) in
unselected, un acclimatized workers and an individual's exposure to heat
stress should
be discontinued when this occur.
The employee assigned to work in the down flow area of the main cleanroom
of Aramark
Cleanroom Services Puerto Rico, Inc., performed work including washing and
drying of
large quantities of clothes in industrial washers and dryers. The employee
performed the
work, considered moderate due to the intensity and frequency of movements,
using three
layers of clothing, among which was the garments required in the clean
room. The heat
stress personal sampling taken in the area showed that the employee was
exposed to heat
stress (prolonged increase in internal body temperature and chronic
exposure to high
levels of heat stress). The personal sampling yielded body temperatures up
to 38.3
degrees Celcius, even when the area was cooled by an air conditioning
system.
Hazard: Heat stress, dehydration, heat stroke.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this
hazard is to use engineering controls in order to lower the area
temperature, evaluate the
amount of clothe used by the employee in the work area and the location of
clothes
washers and dryers. Meanwhile, use administrative controls that allow
sufficient recovery
and limit physiological strain with general controls such as: accurate
written and verbal
instructions, frequent training programs, and other information about heat
stress and
strain; encourage drinking small volumes (approximately one cup) of cool
water every
20 minutes, permit self-limitation of exposures and encourage co-worker
observation to
detect signs and symptoms of heat strain in others, recommend and monitor
those who
take medication that may compromise normal cardiovascular, blood pressure,
regulation
of body temperature, renal or sweat gland functions.
Nota: El "Threshold Limit Values (TLV's)" de la Conferencia Americana de
HigienistasIndustriales Gubernamentales es una guia reconocida en la
industria utilizada para asistir
en el control de riesgos de salud.
Referencia: El "Threshold Limit Values (TLV's)" Edicion 2001, Pagina 173,
Tabla 4:
Guias para Limitar el Esfuerzo por Calor. El Esfuerzo por calor puede
estar marcado por
temperatura corporal mayor de 38.5 grados Celcius (101.3 grados Farenheit)
para personal medicamente seleccionado y aclimatado; o mayor de 38 grados
Celcius (100.4
grados Farenheit) en trabajadores no seleccionados, no aclimatados y
cuando ocurre una
exposicion individual al estres por calor esta debe ser descontinuada.
El empleado designado a trabajar en area de "down flow" del principal
cuarto limpio de
Aramark Cleanroom Services Puerto Rico, Inc., realizaba trabajos que
incluian el lavado
y secado de grandes cantidades de ropa en las lavadoras y secadoras
industriales. Este
empleado desempenaba dichos trabajos, considerados moderados debido a la
intensidad
y frecuencia de los movimientos, utilizando tres capas de ropa, entre las
cuales se
encontraba la ropa requerida en el cuarto limpio. El muestreo personal
para calor
realizado en el area demonstro que el empleado estaba expuesto a estres
por calor
(aumento prolongado en la temperatura interna del cuerpo y exposicion
cronica a altos
niveles de estres calorico). En el muestreo personal se registraron
medidas de
temperatura corporal de hasta 38.3 grados celsios, aun cuando en el area
existia un
sistema de acondicionador de aire.
Riesgo: Estres por calor, deshidratacion, choque de calor.
Entre otros metodos, un metodo razonable y aceptable de corregir este
riesgo es: utilizar
controles de ingenieria para disminuir la temperatura en el area. Mientras
tanto utilizar
controles administrativos que permitan suficiente recuperacion y limite la
tension
fisiologica con controles generales tales como: proveer instrucciones
escritas y verbales
precisas, frecuentes programas de adiestramiento y cualquier otra
informacion acerca de
estres calorico y tension; fomentar el beber un volumen pequeno
(aproximadamente una
taza) de agua fria cada 20 minutos; permitir la auto limitacion de
exposicion y fomentar
la observacion de los companeros de trabajo para detectar senales y
sintomas de tension
por calor en otros; recomendar y monitorear a aquellos que toman
medicamentos que
pueda comprometer las funciones cardiovasculares normales, la presion
sanguinea, la
regulacion de la temperatura del cuerpo, las funciones renales y de la
glandula
de sudar.la

Issued

Apr 26, 2010

Abate by

May 20, 2010

Penalty

Initial $500 · Current $500

General-duty citation text

Section 6(a) of the Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and Health Act:  The
employer did not
furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from
recognized hazards that
were causing or likely to cause physical harm to employees in that
employees were exposed to:
Seccion 6(a) de la Ley de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo de Puerto Rico:
El patrono no
proveyo empleo y un sitio de empleo libre de riesgos reconocidos que esten
causando o que
puedan causar dano fisico a los empleados, por cuanto empleados estaban
expuestos a:
At Aramark Cleanroom Services Puerto Rico, Inc.; the employer did not
provide training
to his employees ralated to the establishment of a written protocol to
handle domestic
violence in the workplace, as required by the Act for the Implementation
of a Protocol
to Handle Domestic Violence Situations in the Workplace or Place of
Employment, Act
No. 217 of 2006.
Hazard: Injuries, and illnesses related to domestic violence in the
workplace.
Method to abate the hazard: The employer shall provide training to all the
establishment's employees related to a written protocol to handle domestic
violence in
the workplace. Information is available at the Women's Advocate Office, A
Guide for
Employers: Domestic Violence in the Workplace and other references
provided during
the inspection.
En Aramark Cleanroom Services Puerto Rico, Inc.; el patrono no proveyo
adiestramiento
a sus empleados relacionado al establecimiento de un protocolo escrito
para manejar
situaciones de violencia domestica en el lugar de trabajo, como lo
requiere la Ley para
la Implementacion del Protocolo para Manejar Situaciones de Violencia
Domestica en el
Sitio de Trabajo, Ley Num. 217 del 2006.
Riesgo: Lesiones, y enfermedades relacionadas a la violencia domestica en
el sitio de
trabajo.
Metodo de corregir el riesgo: El patrono tiene que proveer adiestramiento
a todos los
empleados del establecimiento relacionado con un protocolo escrito para el
manejo de la
violencia domestica en el sitio de trabajo. Hay informacion disponible en
la Oficina de
la Procuradora de la Mujer, Una Guia para Patronos: Violencia Domestica en
el Sitio de
Trabajo, y otras referencias provistas durante la inspeccion.