OSHA Inspection: SPECIALTY METALS PROCESSING, INC.

Issued

May 4, 2012

Abate by

Jul 19, 2012

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $2,940 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(b)(1): When employees were subjected to sound exceeding those listed in Table G-16, feasible administrative or engineering controls were not utilized:    On April 18, 2012, the grinder/finisher was exposed to continuous noise levels at 326.0% of the permissible daily exposure (8-hour, time-weighted average sound level of 90 dbA or equivalently, a dose of 100 percent), during the 460 minute sampling period.   Exposure calculations include a zero increment for the 20 minutes not sampled. 98.52 dBA      Abatement Steps:     1. Effective hearing protection shall be provided and used by all exposed employees as an interim protection measure and when administrative or engineering controls fail to reduce sound levels within the levels of table G-16.  In addition, an effective hearing conservation program in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.95(c) thru (n) shall be maintained.  Abatement must be completed (5 Working Days)     2. Submit to the Area Director a written detailed plan of abatement outlining a schedule for the implementation of engineering and /or administrative measures to control employee exposure to noise as referenced in this citation.  This plan shall include at a minimum, target dates for the following actions which must be consistent with the dates required by this citation.       a)	Evaluation of engineering control options.   b)	Selection of optimum control method and completion of design.   c)	Procurement, installation and operation of selected control measures.   d)	Testing and acceptance or modifications/redesign of controls.     All proposed control measures shall be evaluated for each particular use by a competent Industrial Hygienist or other technically qualified person.  Abatement must be completed (15 working days)     3. Abatement should have been completed by the implementation of feasible engineering and/or administrative controls upon verification of their effectiveness in achieving compliance.  Abatement must be completed (30 working days)

Issued

May 4, 2012

Abate by

Jul 19, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(c)(1): The employer did not administer a continuing, effective hearing conservation program as described in 29 CFR 1910.9(c) through (o) whenever employee noise exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level of 85 decibels measured on the A scale, or equivalently a dose of fifty percent:    a) On April 18, 2012, the buff line operator was exposed to continuous noise levels at 340.0% of the permissible daily exposure (8-hour, time-weighted average sound level of 85 dbA or equivalently, a dose of 50 percent), during the 460 minute sampling period.   Exposure calculations include a zero increment for the 20 minutes not sampled.     b) On April 18, 2012, the buff line helper was exposed to continuous noise levels at 108.4% of the permissible daily exposure (8-hour, time-weighted average sound level of 85 dbA or equivalently, a dose of 50 percent), during the 461 minute sampling period.   Exposure calculations include a zero increment for the 19 minutes not sampled.    c) On April 18, 2012, the buff line supervisor was exposed to continuous noise levels at 104.6% of the permissible daily exposure (8-hour, time-weighted average sound level of 85 dbA or equivalently, a dose of 50 percent), during the 455 minute sampling period.   Exposure calculations include a zero increment for the 25 minutes not sampled.