OSHA Inspection: KEARNY SMELTING & REFINING CORPORATION

Issued

Sep 16, 2013

Penalty

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

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) Facility  Employees working as a melter, press operator, die man, roll former, and saw operator were exposed to continuous noise levels that were equivalent to 71.3%, 71.7%, 98.5%, 108.5%, and 117.1% of the permissible daily noise exposure (8 hour Time Weighted Average (TWA) sound level of 90dBA) which are 0.713, 0.717, 0.985, 1.085 and 1.171 times the allowable exposure limit.  The action level is 85 dBA.  The equivalent sound levels of the measured doses are 87.6 dBA, 87.6 dBA, 89.9 dBA, 90.6 dBA and 91.1 dBA, respectively.  Sampling was performed for 476 min, 469 min, 465 min, 461 min, and 436 min with zero exposure assumed for the unsampled time periods of 4 min, 11 min, 15 min, 19 min, and 44 min, respectively.   Violation occurred on or about 04/23/13.

Issued

Sep 16, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(d)(1): When information indicated that any employee's exposure equaled or exceed the 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels, the employer did not develop and implement a monitoring program:  a) Facility  The employer did not monitor noise exposures for employees who are exposed to noise from equipment such as the furnace, saws, and roll formers.  These employees are exposed to continuous noise levels at 71.3%, 71.7%, 98.5%, 108.5%, and 117.1% of the permissible daily noise exposure (8 hour Time Weighted Average sound level of 90 dBA) which are 0.713, 0.717, 0.985, 1.085 and 1.171 times the allowable exposure limit.  The action level is 85 dBA.  The equivalent sound levels of the measured doses are 87.6 dBA, 89.9 dBA, 90.6 dBA, and 91.1 dBA, respectively.  Sampling was performed for 476 min, 469 min, 465 min, 461 min, and 436 min with zero exposure assumed for the unsampled time periods of 4 min, 11 min, 15 min, 19 min, and 44 min, respectively.   Violation occurred on or about 04/23/13.

Issued

Sep 16, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(g)(5): Within 6 months of an employee's first exposure at or above the action level, the employer did not establish a valid baseline audiogram against which subsequent audiograms could be compared:  a) Facility      The employer did not provide baseline audiograms for employees' first exposures above the action level of 85 decibels as an 8 hour time weighted average.  These employees, working as a die man, saw operator and roll former, were exposed to continuous noise levels at 98.5%, 108.5%, and 117.1% of the permissible daily noise exposure (8 hour Time Weighted Average sound level of 90 dBA) which are 0.985, 1.085 and 1.171 times the allowable exposure limit.  The action level is 85 dBA.  The equivalent sound levels of the measured doses are 89.9 dBA, 90.6 dBA, and 91.1 dBA, respectively.  Sampling was performed for 465 min, 461 min, and 436 min with zero exposure assumed for the unsampled time periods of 15 min, 19 min, and 44 min respectively.  Violation occurred 04/23/13.

Issued

Sep 16, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(g)(6): At least annually after obtaining the baseline audiogram, the employer did not obtain a new audiogram for each employee exposed at or above an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels:  a) Facility  The employer did not provide annual audiograms for employees working as a melter and press operator and exposed to noise above the action level of 85 decibels as an 8 hour time weighted average.  Such workers were exposed to continuous noise levels at 71.3%, 71.7% of the permissible daily noise exposure (8 hour Time Weighted Average sound level of 90 dBA) which are 0.713, 0.717 times the allowable exposure limit.  The action level is 85 dBA.  The equivalent sound level of the measured doses is 87.6 dBA.  Sampling was performed for 476 min and 469 min with zero exposure assumed for the unsampled time periods of 4 min and 11 min.   Violation occurred on or about 04/23/13.

Issued

Sep 16, 2013

Abate by

Oct 3, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $2,100 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(3)(ii): Point(s) of operation of machinery were not guarded to prevent employee(s) from having any part of their body in the danger zone(s) during operating cycle(s):  a) Facility  1) The extrusion saw was not guarded exposing employees to the danger zone during the operating cycle.  2) The Severall Abrasive Cutting Machine Model 2B, S/N 800 was not guarded exposing employees to the danger zone during operation.    Violation observed on or about 04/24/13 and 06/26/13.

Issued

Sep 16, 2013

Abate by

Oct 3, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1591

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1025(h)(2)(ii): Shoveling, sweeping or brushing methods were used to remove lead accumulations where vacuuming or other equally effective methods were available and feasible:  a) Electric Furnace Area and Saw Operators Area  Dry sweeping methods were used to clean the floors in the area of the electric furnace where leaded brass alloy was melted and where the saws were used to cut the final product to size. The material being dry swept contained 1.25-1.73% lead.  Violation occurred on or about 05/16/13.

Issued

Sep 16, 2013

Abate by

Oct 3, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $1,200 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): The employer did not develop, implement, and/or maintain at the workplace a written hazard communication program which describes how the criteria specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) will be met:  a) Facility  The employer did not implement the written hazard communication program for employees exposed to hazardous chemicals such as, but not limited to, propane (fuel for forklift), acetylene, and lubricating grease.  Violation occurred 04/10/13.

Issued

Sep 16, 2013

Abate by

Oct 3, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(3)(ii): Employee training did not include the physical and health hazards of the chemicals in the work area:  a) Facility  The employer did not provide training to employees that included the physical and health hazards of chemicals they use such as, but not limited to, propane, acetylene and lubricating grease.  Violation occurred on or about 04/10/13.

Issued

Sep 16, 2013

Abate by

Sep 26, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(2)(i): Respirator users were not provided with the information contained in Appendix D to 29 CFR 1910.134 when the employer determined that any voluntary respirator use was permissible:  a) Facility  The employer did not provide employees voluntarily wearing filtering facepiece respirators, such as Moldex 2730, with the information contained in Appendix D of this section ("Information for Employees Using Respirators When Not Required Under the Standard").  Violation occurred on or about 04/10/13.