OSHA Inspection: AGRETECH, INC.

Issued

Oct 10, 2012

Abate by

Dec 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $1,400 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8111

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)  Location - Rock Crushing Area:  On or about 4/11/12, an employee picking non-stone material was exposed to continuous noise levels at 104.2 % of the allowable dose [eight hour time weighted sound level (TWA) of 85 dBA] for a sampling period of 256 minutes and the employer did not have a continuing, effective hearing conservation program.  The equivalent eight hour TWA for the time sampled was 90.3 dBA which is capable of causing permanent hearing loss.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of 224 minutes.    (b)  Location - Rock Crushing Area:  On or about 4/11/12, an employee picking non-stone material was exposed to continuous noise levels at 87.4 % of the allowable dose [eight hour time weighted sound level (TWA) of 85 dBA] for a sampling period of 258 minutes and the employer did not have a continuing, effective hearing conservation program.  The equivalent eight hour TWA for the time sampled was 89.0 dBA which is capable of causing permanent hearing loss.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of 222 minutes.    (c)  Location - Rock Crushing Area:  On or about 4/11/12, an employee operating the rock crushing machine was exposed to continuous noise levels at 86.3 % of the allowable dose [eight hour time weighted sound level (TWA) of 85 dBA] for a sampling period of 250 minutes and the employer did not have a continuing, effective hearing conservation program.  The equivalent eight hour TWA for the time sampled was 88.9 dBA which is capable of causing permanent hearing loss.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of 230 minutes.

Issued

Oct 10, 2012

Abate by

Dec 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 8111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(d)(1):     When information indicates that any employee's exposure may equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels, the employer shall develop and implement a monitoring program.    (a)  Location - Rock Crushing Area:  On or about 4/11/12, the employer did not develop and implement a representative noise monitoring program when information indicated an employees's exposure may equal or exceed an eight hour time-weighted average of 85 dBA.  (See Citation 1, Item 1a-c, for exposure information.)

Issued

Oct 10, 2012

Abate by

Dec 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 8111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(g)(5)(i):     The employer did not establish, within 6 months of an employee's first exposure at or above the action level, a valid baseline audiogram against which subsequent audiograms can be compared:    (a)  Location - Rock Crushing Area:  On or about 4/11/12, the employer did not establish baseline audiograms for employees with noise exposure at or above the action level.  (See Citation 1, Item 1a-c, for exposure information.)

Issued

Oct 10, 2012

Abate by

Dec 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 8111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(k)(1):     The employer did not train each employee who is exposed to noise at or above an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.95(k). The employer did not institute a training program and ensure employee participation in the program:    (a)  Location - Rock Crushing Area:  On or about 4/11/12, the employer did not conduct annual hearing conservation training for employees exposed to noise levels exceeding the eight hour time-weighted average of 85 dBA.  (See Citation 1, Item 1a-c, for exposure information.)

Issued

Oct 10, 2012

Abate by

Dec 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $1,200 · Current $600 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(d)(1)(iii):     The employer did not identify and evaluate the respiratory hazard(s) in the workplace; including a reasonable estimate of employee exposures to respiratory hazards and identification of the contaminant's chemical state and physical form:    (a)  Location - Rock Crushing Operation  On or about 4/11/12, the employer did not monitor the respirable silica levels for employees that work at the rock crushing operation.

Issued

Oct 10, 2012

Abate by

Dec 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $400 · Current $200 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(l)(1):     The employer did not make available to affected employees or their representatives copies of 29 CFR 1910.95 and did not post a copy in the workplace:    (a)  Location - Rock Crushing Area:  On or about 4/11/12, the employer did not make available or post a copy of 29 CFR 1910.95 for affected employees.  (See Citation 1, Item 1a-c, for exposure information.)

Issued

Oct 10, 2012

Abate by

Dec 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $400 · Current $200 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1):     A written respiratory protection program that included the provisions in 29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1)(i) - (ix) with worksite specific procedures was not established and implemented for required respirator use:    (a)  Location - Rock Crushing Operation  On or about 4/11/12, the employer did not establish and implement a written respiratory protection program with worksite specific procedures for employees that were required to wear tight-fitting filtering facepiece respirators.

Issued

Oct 10, 2012

Abate by

Dec 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1):     The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employees ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace:    (a) Location - Rock Crushing Operation  On or about 4/11/12, the employer did not provide medical evaluations for employees that were required to wear tight fitting filtering facepiece respirators.

Issued

Oct 10, 2012

Abate by

Dec 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(2):     The employer did not ensure that an employee using a tight-fitting facepiece respirator was fit tested prior to initial use of the respirator, whenever a different respirator facepiece (size, style, model or make) is used, and at least annually thereafter:    (a)  Location - Rock Crushing Operation  On or about 4/11/12, the employer did not provide fit testing for employees that were required to wear tight fitting filtering facepiece respirators.

Issued

Oct 10, 2012

Abate by

Dec 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9010

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(1):     The employer did not ensure that each employee can demonstrate knowledge of items in (i)-(vii)    (a)  Location - Rock Crushing Operation  On or about 4/11/12, the employer did not provide respiratory protection training for employees that were required to wear tight fitting filtering facepiece respirators.