OSHA Inspection: VAN BLARCOM CLOSURES, INC.

Issued

Oct 8, 2014

Penalty

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

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(g)(5)(i): The employer did not establish, within 6 months of an employee's first exposure at or above the action level, a valid baseline audiogram against which subsequent audiograms can be compared:    a) 156 Sanford Street, Brooklyn, NY: The employer did not establish baseline audiograms for employees within 6 months of their first exposure to continuous noise at or above 85 dBa while performing work tasks (e.g. machine operator, cap inspector). Employees in the metal department are exposed to continuous noise at an average of 136.9% dose which corresponds to an eight hour TWA of 92.3 dBa. Per table G-16 of 29 CFR 1910.95 employees exposed to 115 dB must not exceed .25 hours per day without an effective hearing conservation program instituted. The condition was noted on or about 10/02/14.    An employee that was hired on or about 08/03/12 was not given a baseline audiogram until 05/29/14 where it showed that there was hearing loss in both ears.     An employee that was hired on or about 09/20/12 was not given a baseline audiogram until 05/29/14 where it showed that there was hearing loss in one ear.    An employee that was hired on or about 05/07/13 was not given a baseline audiogram until 05/29/14.     NOTE: IN ADDITION TO ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION, THE EMPLOYER IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION FOR THIS ITEM, FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY OF $1,000 AS PER 29 CFR 1903.19.

Issued

Oct 8, 2014

Abate by

Nov 21, 2014

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(k)(2): The training program was not repeated annually for each employee included in the hearing conservation program. Information in the training program was not updated to be consistent with changes in protective equipment and work processes:     a)    156 Sanford Street, Brooklyn, NY: The employer did not provide adequate annual training to employees that were exposed to at or above 85 dBa while performing work tasks (e.g. machine operator, cap inspector) as evident from standard threshold shifts when employee's annual audiograms were compared to their baseline audiograms. Employees in the metal department are exposed to continuous noise at an average of 136.9% dose which corresponds to an eight hour TWA of 92.3 dBa. Per table G-16 of 29 CFR 1910.95 employees exposed to 115 dB must not exceed .25 hours per day without an effective hearing conservation program instituted. The condition was noted on or about 10/02/14.        An employee that was hired on or about 08/03/12 was not given adequate annual training evident from the employee's hearing loss in both ears when the employee received their next audiogram on 05/29/14.     An employee that was hired on or about 09/20/12 was not given adequate annual training evident from the employee's hearing loss in one ear when the employee received their next audiogram on 05/29/14.      NOTE: IN ADDITION TO ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION, THE EMPLOYER IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION FOR THIS ITEM, FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY OF $1,000 AS PER 29 CFR 1903.19.

Issued

Oct 8, 2014

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $4,996 Reduced

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)    156 Sanford Street, Brooklyn, NY: The employer did not establish annual audiograms for employees on a yearly basis that are exposed to at or above 85 dBa while performing work tasks (e.g. machine operator, cap inspector). Employees in the metal department are exposed to continuous noise at an average of 136.9% dose which corresponds to an eight hour TWA of 92.3 dBa. Per table G-16 of 29 CFR 1910.95 employees exposed to 115 dB must not exceed .25 hours per day without an effective hearing conservation program instituted. The condition was noted on or about 10/02/14.        An employee that was hired on or about 08/03/12 was not given an annual audiogram until on or about 2 years later, 05/29/14, where it showed that there was hearing loss in both ears.     An employee that was hired on or about 09/20/12 was not given an annual audiogram until on or about two years later, 05/29/14, where it showed that there was hearing loss in one ear.    An employee that was hired on or about 05/07/13 was not given an annual audiogram until more than a year later on or about 05/29/14.     NOTE: IN ADDITION TO ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION, THE EMPLOYER IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION FOR THIS ITEM, FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY OF $1,000 AS PER 29 CFR 1903.19.

Issued

Oct 8, 2014

Abate by

Oct 30, 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)    156 Sanford Street, Brooklyn, NY: The employer did not review employee's annual audiograms for standard thershold shifts to determine if corrective actions need to be taken as apparent from multiple employees hearing loss based on the newest annual audiograms conducted on or about 05/29/14. The condition was noted on or about 04/23/14.  NOTE: IN ADDITION TO ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION, THE EMPLOYER IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION FOR THIS ITEM, FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY OF $1,000 AS PER 29 CFR 1903.19.

Issued

Oct 8, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.157(e)(1): The employer was not responsible for the inspection, maintenance and testing of all portable fire extinguishers in the workplace:   a) 156 Sanford Street, Brooklyn, NY: 15 ABC and 15 CO2 fire extinguishers were not inspected and maintained throughout the entire facility on or about 04/23/14.