OSHA Inspection: COLLINS TOOL CORPORATION

Issued

Dec 12, 2013

Abate by

Jan 9, 2014

Penalty

Initial $1,785 · Current $1,160 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(c)(1): Open-sided floors and/or platforms four feet or more above adjacent floor or ground level were not guarded with standard railings (or equivalent):     a)  Loading Dock - On or about July 15, 2013, the employer did not ensure that the loading dock was guarded with a standard railing in that the chain being used as a top rail was only 27 inches high at the middle of the opening and there was no midrail, exposing employees to a fall hazard of 50 inches to the bottom of the loading dock ramp.    Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Dec 12, 2013

Abate by

Jan 9, 2014

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $4,152 Reduced

Hazardous substances 81108111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(b)(1): When employees were subjected to sound exceeding those listed in Table G-16, feasible engineering controls were not utilized:      a)  Rip Saw Area - An employee, operating the Rip Saw, was sampled for occupational noise exposure on July 23, 2013, for 468 minutes, at a level of approximately 259% of the allowable dose, using the 90 dB criterion level.  This was equivalent to an exposure of approximately 97 dBA 8-hr. TWA, in excess of the OSHA PEL, which was capable of causing hearing loss.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled time period of 12 minutes.  The employer did not ensure that feasible engineering and administrative controls, including but not limited to the installation of barriers, baffles, sound-absorbing, or sound-damping materials were implemented to reduce employees' exposure to occupational noise.      b)  Rip Saw Area - An employee, operating the Dowel Machine, was sampled for occupational noise exposure on July 23, 2013, for 470 minutes, at a level of approximately 212% of the allowable dose, using the 90 dB criterion level.  This was equivalent to an exposure of approximately 95 dBA 8-hr. TWA, in excess of the OSHA PEL, which was capable of causing hearing loss.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled time period of 10 minutes.  The employer did not ensure that feasible engineering and administrative controls, including but not limited to the installation of barriers, baffles, sound-absorbing, or sound-damping materials were implemented to reduce employees' exposure to occupational noise.      c)  Rip Saw Area - An employee, operating Chop Saw I, was sampled for occupational noise exposure on July 23, 2013, for 468 minutes, at a level of approximately 180% of the allowable dose, using the 90 dB criterion level.  This was equivalent to an exposure of approximately 94 dBA 8-hr. TWA, in excess of the OSHA PEL, which was capable of causing hearing loss.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled time period of 12 minutes.  The employer did not ensure that feasible engineering and administrative controls, including but not limited to the installation of barriers, baffles, sound-absorbing, or sound-damping materials were implemented to reduce employees' exposure to occupational noise.      d)  Rip Saw Area - An employee, operating Chop Saw II, was sampled for occupational noise exposure on July 23, 2013, for 467 minutes, at a level of approximately 259% of the allowable dose, using the 90 dB criterion level.  This was equivalent to an exposure of approximately 92 dBA 8-hr. TWA, in excess of the OSHA PEL, which was capable of causing hearing loss.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled time period of 13 minutes.  The employer did not ensure that feasible engineering and administrative controls, including but not limited to the installation of barriers, baffles, sound-absorbing, or sound-damping materials were implemented to reduce employees' exposure to occupational noise.      Abatement certification and documentation required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, the date and method of abatement, and state that employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement. Abatement documentation shall include documents demonstrating that abatement is complete, such as evidence of the purchase or repair of equipment, photographic or video evidence of abatement or other written records.

Issued

Dec 12, 2013

Abate by

Jan 16, 2014

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $4,152 Reduced

Hazardous substances 81108111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(g)(7)(i): Each employee's annual audiogram was not compared to that employee's baseline audiogram to determine if a standard threshold shift as defined in 29 CFR 1910.95(g)(10) has occurred:    a)  Rip Saw Area - On or about July 23, 2013, the employer did not compare the overexposed Rip Saw Operators new annual audiogram with his baseline audiogram to determine that a 10 decibel (dB) Standard Threshold Shift had occurred.         b)  Rip Saw Area - On or about July 23, 2013, the employer did not compare the overexposed Dowel Machine Operators new annual audiogram with his baseline audiogram to determine that a 10 decibel (dB) Standard Threshold Shift had occurred.      c)  Rip Saw Area - On or about July 23, 2013, the employer did not compare the Stackers new annual audiogram with his baseline audiogram to determine that a 10 decibel (dB) Standard Threshold Shift had occurred.       Abatement certification and documentation required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, the date and method of abatement, and state that employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement. Abatement documentation shall include documents demonstrating that abatement is complete, such as evidence of the purchase or repair of equipment, photographic or video evidence of abatement or other written records.

Issued

Dec 12, 2013

Abate by

Jan 16, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 81108111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(g)(8)(ii)(B): Unless a physician determines that the standard threshold shift is not work-related or aggravated by occupational noise exposure, the employer did not ensure, when a standard threshold shift occurs, that for employees already using hearing protectors, employees be refitted and retrained in the use of hearing protectors and provided with hearing protectors offering greater attenuation if necessary:    a)  Rip Saw Area - On or about July 23, 2013, the employer did not retrain or refit an overexposed employee, operating the Rip Saw, in the use of hearing protection or provide hearing protectors offering greater attenuation when that employee was exposed to occupational noise above the Permissible Exposure Limit and sustained an age-adjusted Standard Threshold Shift average of 14.67 dB for the right ear.     b)  Rip Saw Area - On or about July 23, 2013, the employer did not retrain or refit an overexposed employee, operating the Dowel Machine, in the use of hearing protection or provide hearing protectors offering greater attenuation when that employee was exposed to occupational noise above the Permissible Exposure Limit and sustained an age-adjusted Standard Threshold Shift average of 26.33 dB for the right ear.    c)  Rip Saw Area - On or about July 23, 2013, the employer did not retrain or refit an overexposed employee, operating the Dowel Machine, in the use of hearing protection or provide hearing protectors offering greater attenuation when that employee was exposed to occupational noise above the Permissible Exposure Limit and sustained an age-adjusted Standard Threshold Shift average of 18.00 dB for the left ear.     d)  Rip Saw Area - On or about July 23, 2013, the employer did not retrain or refit an employee, stacking dowels, in the use of hearing protection or provide hearing protectors offering greater attenuation when that employee was exposed to occupational noise above the Permissible Exposure Limit and sustained an age-adjusted Standard Threshold Shift average of 14.67 dB for the left ear.    Abatement certification and documentation required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, the date and method of abatement, and state that employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement. Abatement documentation shall include documents demonstrating that abatement is complete, such as evidence of the purchase or repair of equipment, photographic or video evidence of abatement or other written records.

Issued

Dec 12, 2013

Abate by

Jan 16, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 81108111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(k)(3)(iii): The employer did not ensure that each employee was informed of the purpose of audiometric testing, and an explanation of the test procedures:    a)  At the Establishment - On or about August 7, 2013, the employer had not completely explained the contents of paragraph 1910.95(g) of this section in that the meaning of the audiogram numbers and the purpose of, procedure for, and meaning of comparing the baseline and annual audiograms was not explained to employees exposed to noise levels in excess of the Permissible Exposure Limit of an 8-hour time-weighted average of 90 dBA, and experiencing age-adjusted Standard Threshold Shifts.     Abatement certification and documentation required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, the date and method of abatement, and state that employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement. Abatement documentation shall include documents demonstrating that abatement is complete, such as evidence of the purchase or repair of equipment, photographic or video evidence of abatement or other written records.