OSHA Inspection: CASTLE CHEESE, INC.

Issued

Mar 22, 2013

Abate by

May 2, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $2,100

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(d)(2):  The employer did not verify that the required workplace hazard assessment had been performed through a written certification that identifies the workplace evaluated; the person certifying that the evaluation has been performed; the date(s) of the hazard assessment; and, which identifies the document as a certification of hazard assessment:    a) In the facility, on or about November 27, 2012 - The employer did not develop a written hazard assessment program when employees were required to use personal protective equipment while performing daily cleaning with corrosives and preparing various cheese mixtures.

Issued

Mar 22, 2013

Abate by

Apr 1, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.133(a)(1):  The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to eye or face hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation:    a) In the facility, on or about November 27, 2012 - Choppers were not wearing eye protection while preparing various dry dusty cheese mixtures when they were exposed to dust particles in thier eyes.

Issued

Mar 22, 2013

Abate by

May 28, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $1,470 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1):  In any workplace where respirators are necessary to protect the health of the employee or whenever respirators are required by the employer, the employer did not establish and implement a written respiratory protection program with worksite-specific procedures:      a) In the facility, on or about December 12, 2013 -  The employer did not develop a written respiratory protection program.  Employees were required to wear a tight-fitting half-mask air purifying respirator equipped with P100 cartridges (acid gas filter 60922) during daily facility cleaning with acid and sodium hydroxide solutions.

Issued

Mar 22, 2013

Abate by

Jun 26, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(1): The employer did not ensure that employees using a tight-fitting facepiece respirator pass an appropriate qualitative fit test (QLFT) or quantitative fit test (QNFT) as stated in this paragraph:    a) In the facility, on or about December 12, 2013 -   Employees were not provided fit tests when required to wear a tight-fitting half-mask air purifying respirator during daily facility cleaning with acid and sodium hydroxide solutions.

Issued

Mar 22, 2013

Abate by

Jun 26, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1): The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee is fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace:     a) In the facility, on or about December 12, 2013 -  Employees who were required to wear tight-fitting half-mask respirators equipped with P100 cartridges (acid gas filter 60922) were not provided medical evaluations.

Issued

Mar 22, 2013

Abate by

Jun 26, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k):    The employer did not provide effective training to employees who are required to use respirators:     a) In the facility, on or about December 12, 2012 - Employees required to wear tight-fitting half-mask air purifying respirators equipped with P100 cartridges (acid gas filter 60922), did not participate in respirator training.

Issued

Mar 22, 2013

Abate by

Apr 26, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(6):  The basic advisory information on respirators, as presented in Appendix D of this section, shall be provided by the employer in any written or oral format, to employees who wear respirators when such use is not required by this section or by the employer:    a) In the facility, on or about December 12, 2012 - Employees, who wore elastomeric filtering face pieces, were not provided effective training on respirator usage to include the basic advisory information in Appendix D of the standard.

Issued

Mar 22, 2013

Abate by

Jul 26, 2013

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,438 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 paragraphs (c) through (o) of this section, whenever employee noise exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (TWA) of 85 decibels:      a)  In the Chopper area, on or about 12/11/12 - Employee with the job title chopper operator, operated the automated chopper 1 equipment.  Employee full shift monitoring resulted in 88.5% of the permissible daily noise dose (8-hour time weighted average sound level of 85dBA) or equivalent sound level of approximately 90 dBA, during the 433- minute sampling period.  The sampling did not include 42-minutes of noise exposure.        b)  In the Chopper area, on or about 12/11/12 - Employee with the job title chopper supervisor, operated the automated chopper 2 equipment.  Employee full shift monitoring resulted in 89.2% of the permissible daily noise dose  (8-hour time weighted average sound level of 85dBA) or equivalent sound level of approximately 90 dBA, during the 332-minute sampling period.  The sampling did not include 53-minutes of noise exposure.    The employer did not institute a hearing conservation program.