OSHA Inspection: SUPER KING SAUNA NJ, LLC

Issued

Jan 24, 2014

Abate by

Dec 22, 2014

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $5,820 Reduced

General-duty citation text

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to excessive heat.    a)     Bulhanjeungmok Sauna: Employees set up and maintain the daily operation of the sauna.  In an operation that takes several hours they stack wood, stoke the fire from inside the sauna and the workroom, clean the ashes, clean the sauna, lay down mats, stock and unstock shelves with cartons of eggs.  Temperatures in the sauna throughout this process can reach in the 400 degree F range, peaking at times to 700 degrees F. The sauna eventually cools down to approximately 150 degree F. July 26, 2013 ann employee who was performing set up operations in the bulhanjeungmok sauna was found unresponsive in the sauna.     b)     Various saunas throughout: Employees perform maintenance and clean-up activities in the various saunas throughout the facilities.  Temperatures in the saunas are maintained at approximately 140 degrees F.    Employees were not provided training to understand the signs and symptoms of heat related illnesses, medications and conditions that may increase the risk of heat related illnesses and ways to prevent or minimize heat related illnesses. A scheduled work rest regimen was not followed. Sufficient engineering, administrative and work practice controls were not implemented, on or about July 26, 2013.    Feasible and acceptable methods to abate this hazard include, but are not limited to:    a) For the Bulhanjeungmok sauna:  1. Implement a work rest regimen in accordance with the current American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists guidelines.  2. Provide adequate amounts of cool potable water and electrolyte replacements (specific recommendations should be made by medical consultation) in the work area and require employees to drink frequently.  3. Train employees about the effects of heat-related illness, how to report and recognize heat-related illness symptoms and how to prevent heat-related illnesses.  4. Workers should be made aware of the medications such as antihypertensives, antihistamines, diuretics that can increase the risk of heat stress. They should also be advised that conditions, such as pregnancy, fever, gastrointestinal illness, heart disease, and obesity, may increase the risk of heat related illness.  5. Provide pre-placement and annual physical exams to all employees who work inside the bulhanjeungmok sauna.  Please note: the employer is not entitled to know whether workers have health related conditions, but only whether workers have any conditions that limits their ability to perform their job duties.  6. Physiological, visual and verbal monitoring of employees should be done to check for signs of heat-related illness. Encourage employees to report symptoms of health related disorders to a supervisor.  7.Provide specific procedures to be followed for heat-related emergency situations and procedures for first aid to be administered immediately to employees displaying symptoms of heat related illness.  8. Include a heat acclimatization program for new employees or employees returning to work from absences of three or more days.    9. Establish an employee rotation schedule for employees to prevent prolonged exposure to heat.    10. Limit the duration of time any employee is engaged in the stacking wood. This may be accomplished by having more than one work team to complete the job or increase the work rest cycle.     11. Keep door to the workroom closed at all times. Observation of the fire should be done remotely either through a window or with a closed circuit TV camera.   12. Limit exposure to heat in the workroom. This can be done by such methods as installing air conditioning throughout, installing an air conditioned booth in the workroom or or by installing closed circuit cameras inside the sauna for remote observation of the fire away from the workroom.  13. Evaluate, maintain and operate the ventilation system per the Architect instructions and design to ensure that acceptable levels of contaminants are maintained for safe entry.  14. Environmental heat measurements should be taken for each area and for each level of environmental heat to which employees are exposed. Employee exposure levels should be monitored using instruments that calculate the wet bulb globe temperature.  15. Install a thermometer in the bulhanjeungmok sauna that can be read remotely prior to entering the sauna.    16. Reduce the physical demands of work and duration of exposure during the egg stocking task. This can be accomplished by implementing administrative controls such as stacking the eggs on portable rolling shelving units in the workroom and then moving the shelving into the bulhanjeungmok sauna  and/or lowering the height of existing shelving to reduce the workload.  17. Maintain continuous visual contact with employees in the bulhanjeungmok sauna. This can be done by implementing a buddy system for employees who enter the bulhanjeungmok sauna or by installing closed circuit TV cameras which are monitored remotely so that employees can be observed at all times while inside the sauna.  18. Provide and require the use of personal protective equipment such as cooling vests and/or aluminized clothing.    For all other saunas where the temperature is maintained at 140 degrees F.  1. Implement a work rest regimen in accordance with the current American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists guidelines.  2. Provide adequate amounts of cool potable water and electrolyte replacements (specific recommendations should be made by medical consultation) in the work area and require employees to drink frequently.  3.Train employees about the effects of heat-related illness, how to report and recognize heat-related illness symptoms and how to prevent heat-related illnesses.

Issued

Jan 24, 2014

Abate by

Mar 5, 2014

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $5,820 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(a): Protective equipment was not used when necessary whenever hazards capable of causing injury and impairment were encountered:     a) Bulhanjeungmok Sauna; Employees set up and maintain the daily operation of the sauna.  In an operation that takes several hours they stack wood, stoke the fire from inside the sauna and the workroom, clean the ashes, clean the sauna, lay down mats, stock and unstock shelves with cartons of eggs.  Temperatures in the sauna throughout this process can reach in the 400 degree F range, peaking at times to 700 degrees F. The sauna eventually cools down to approximately 150 degree F.  Employees wore street footwear, such as sneakers, doubled up cotton sweatshirts with their hoods up, goggles, and towels around their heads, mouth and nose, and workgloves. Employees did not wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment for this work at these temperatures. Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment includes Aluminized heat reflective suits, cooling vests and Protective footwear, on or about July 26, 2013.

Issued

Jan 24, 2014

Abate by

Mar 5, 2014

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $2,720 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1):     Employers shall develop, implement, and maintain at each workplace, a written hazard communication program which at least describes how the criteria specified in paragraphs (f), (g), and (h) of this section for labels and other forms of warning, safety data sheets, and employee information and training will be met, and which also includes the following:      (a) Throughout Workplace: A written Hazard Communication Program was not developed, implemented or maintained for employees who started the wood fire, tended the fire, extinguished the fire and then cleaned the ashes in the bulhanjeungmok sauna and for employees who cleaned the saunas and other areas of the spa. Employees were exposed to hazardous chemicals including, but not limited to, Products of combustion of wood (Carbon Monoxide, Ash, smoke), propane and So-Kleen Pine Deodorant, on or about July 26, 2013.

Issued

Jan 24, 2014

Abate by

Mar 5, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(1):     Employers did not have a safety data sheet in the workplace for each hazardous chemical which they use     (a) Throughout Worksite: Employees cleaned the ashes and prepared the bulhanjeungmok sauna for customers and cleaned throughout the establishment. Employees were exposed to hazardous chemicals including, but not limited to, Carbon Monoxide and other products of combustion of wood (carbon monoxide, ash and smoke), propane, and So-Kleen Pine Deodorant, but Safety Data Sheets were not available to them, on or about July 26, 2013.

Issued

Jan 24, 2014

Abate by

Mar 5, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1):     Employers shall provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment, and whenever a new chemical hazard the employees have not previously been trained about is introduced into their work area. Information and training may be designed to cover categories of hazards (e.g., flammability, carcinogenicity) or specific chemicals. Chemical-specific information must always be available through labels and safety data sheets.     (a) Throughout Establishment: Employees started the wood fire, tended the fire, extinguished the embers and then cleaned the ashes and prepared the bulhanjeungmok sauna for customers and cleaned throughout the establishment. Employees were exposed to hazardous chemicals including, but not limited to, Carbon Monoxide and other products of combustion of wood (carbon monoxide, ash and smoke), propane, and So-Kleen Pine Deodorant, but information and training on the hazards including an explanation of what employees could do to protect themselves was not provided, on or about July 26, 2013.