OSHA Inspection: DHS-US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION

Issued

Jun 13, 2014

Abate by

Jul 9, 2014

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) U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Station, 2430 S. Swan Rd., Tucson AZ 85711: On or about 12 February 2014 and at times prior thereto, annual audiograms were not offered to all employees covered by the CBP Hearing Conservation Program.

Issued

Jun 13, 2014

Abate by

Jul 9, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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 the audiogram is valid and if a standard threshold shift as defined in 29 CFR 1910.95(g)(10) has occurred:  (a) U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Station, 2430 S. Swan Rd., Tucson AZ 85711: On or about 12 February 2014 and at times prior thereto, annual audiograms were not compared to the employee's baseline audiogram to determine if a standard threshold shift had occurred.

Issued

Jun 13, 2014

Abate by

Jul 9, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(g)(7)(iii)(B): The employer did not provide to the person performing the evaluation, the baseline audiogram and most recent audiogram of the employee to be evaluated:  (a) U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Station, 2430 S. Swan Rd., Tucson AZ 85711: On or about 12 February 2014 and at times prior thereto, employee baseline audiograms were not provided to Federal Occupational Health (FOH) personnel who performed annual audiograms.

Issued

Jun 13, 2014

Abate by

Jul 9, 2014

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 respirator was fit tested prior to initial use of the respirator, whenever a different respirator facepiece was used, and at least annually thereafter:   a) U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Station, 2430 S. Swan Rd., Tucson AZ 85711: On or about 12 February 2014 and at times prior thereto, border patrol agents who were required to wear N95 respirators, per the Tucson Station Respiratory Protection Program, were not fit tested annually. CBP requires respirator use when border patrol agents are potentially exposed to TB during activities such as transporting detainees in a closed vehicle, entering holding cells and being in close contact with credibly symptomatic individuals.

Issued

Jun 13, 2014

Abate by

Jul 9, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(c)(1)(i): The employer having employee(s) with occupational exposure did not establish a written Exposure Control Plan, designed to eliminate or minimize employee exposure, describing how the elements specified in 29 CFR 1910.1030(d) through (h) will be met:  a) U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Station, 2430 S. Swan Rd., Tucson AZ 85711: On or about 12 February 2014 and at times prior thereto, a site-specific written Exposure Control Plan was not established. Border Patrol Agents are occupationally exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) during such activities as arrests, transportation, detention processing and rendering medical care.

Issued

Jun 13, 2014

Abate by

Jul 9, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(2)(i): Engineering and work practice controls were not used to eliminate or minimize employees exposure:  a) U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Station, 2430 S. Swan Rd., Tucson AZ 85711: On or about 12 February 2014 and at times prior thereto, border patrol agents were potentially at risk of exposure to blood during the removal or handling of contaminated Taser probes embedded in a person's (subject's) skin. Engineering and work practice controls were not used to minimize employee exposure to bloodborne pathogens.  A deployed Taser probe penetrating skin is considered a contaminated sharp and border patrol agents who remove or handle contaminated Taser probes are potentially at risk of having an occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious material (OPIM). Neither the "Tucson Sector Bloopdborne Pathogens Program Directive and Standard Operating Procedure" nor the U.S. Customs and Border Protection "Policy on the use of Electronic Control Devices" address the safe removal of deployed Taser probes.

Issued

Jun 13, 2014

Abate by

Jul 9, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(3)(iii): The employer did not ensure that appropriate personal protective equipment in the appropriate sizes was readily accessible at the worksite or issued to employees:  a) U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Station, 2430 S. Swan Rd., Tucson AZ 85711: On or about 12 February 2014 and at times prior thereto, gloves were not readily available to border patrol agents to protect them from potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens during routine law enforcement related activities such as apprehensions.