OSHA Inspection: RDG GROUP, INC., BFG MANUFACTURING SERVICES, INC., PUNXSUTAWNEY FINISHING WORKS, INC.

Issued

Aug 15, 2014

Abate by

Oct 2, 2014

Penalty

Initial $3,600 · Current $2,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8111

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 1910.95(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.)   RDG Group, Inc., BFG Manufacturing Services, Inc., Punxsutawney Finishing Works, Inc., 701 Martha Street, Punxsutawney, PA-production area-line 21, on or about June 2, 2014, Quest Technology Noise Pro dosimeters were placed on two employees on line 21 of the production area, and an employee on production line 22.  The results for the main line operator, sampled for 404 minutes, indicated an equivalent 8-hr dose and TWA of 74.37 % and 87.8 dBA; exposure calculations included a zero increment for the 76 minutes not sampled.  Results for the other employees indicated noise exposure levels below the action level. The company had not administered a Hearing Conservation Program for affected employees.

Issued

Aug 15, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 8111

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.) RDG Group, Inc., BFG Manufacturing Services, Inc., Punxsutawney Finishing Works, Inc., 701 Martha Street, Punxsutawney, PA-production area-line 21, on or about June 2, 2014, and times prior thereto:  The company had neither developed a noise monitory program nor conducted noise monitoring for employees potentially exposed to an 8-hr TWA of 85 dBA.

Issued

Aug 15, 2014

Abate by

Oct 2, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 8111

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.)    RDG Group, Inc., BFG Manufacturing Services, Inc., Punxsutawney Finishing Works, Inc., 701 Martha Street, Punxsutawney, PA-production area-line 21, on or about June 2, 2014, Quest Technology Noise Pro dosimeters were placed on two employees on line 21 of the production area, and an employee on production line 22.  The results for the main line operator, sampled for 404 minutes, indicated an equivalent 8-hr dose and TWA of 74.37 % and 87.8 dBA; exposure calculations included a zero increment for the 76 minutes not sampled.  Results for the other employees indicated noise exposure levels below the action level.  The company had not established a valid baseline audiogram within 6 months of employees first exposure at or above the action level.

Issued

Aug 15, 2014

Abate by

Sep 11, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,700 · Current $1,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(2): Employee(s) using a tight-fitting facepiece respirator were not annually fit tested:       a.) RDG Group, Inc., BFG Manufacturing Services, Inc., Punxsutawney Finishing Works, Inc., 701 Martha Street, Punxsutawney, PA-production area-, on or about June 2, 2014 and times prior thereto:  Company employees were required to wear air purifying, full facepiece respirators with cartridges (3M Brand #6892 respirator with Organic vapor P100 cartridges) during work tasks including but not limited to, change out of acid totes.  Company employees were not provided with annual fit tests.

Issued

Aug 15, 2014

Abate by

Oct 2, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(5): Respiratory protection retraining was not conducted annually:    a.) RDG Group, Inc., BFG Manufacturing Services, Inc., Punxsutawney Finishing Works, Inc., 701 Martha Street, Punxsutawney, PA-production area-, on or about June 2, 2014 and times prior thereto:  Company employees were required to wear air purifying, full facepiece respirators with cartridges (3M Brand #6892 respirator with Organic vapor P100 cartridges) during work tasks including but not limited to, change out of acid totes.  Company employees were not provided with annual retraining regarding required respirator use.

Issued

Aug 15, 2014

Abate by

Oct 2, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1): A written respiratory protection program that included the provisions in 29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1)(i) - (ix) with worksite specific procedures was not established and implemented for required respirator use:    a.)   RDG Group, Inc., BFG Manufacturing Services, Inc., Punxsutawney Finishing Works, Inc. ,701 Martha Street, Punxsutawney, PA-production area-, on or about June 2, 2014 and times prior thereto:  Company employees were required to wear air purifying, full facepiece respirators with cartridges (3M Brand #6892 respirator with Organic vapor P100 cartridges) during work tasks including but not limited to, change out of acid totes.  The Company's written Respiratory Protection Program did not include site specific information including, but not limited to, the following:     1.)    Identification of the physician or other licensed health care professional that will conduct medical evaluations;  2.)    The program did not specify the actual cartridge change out schedule for the organic vapor cartridges utilized onsite.

Issued

Aug 15, 2014

Abate by

Sep 11, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,700 · Current $1,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.151(c): Where employees were exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body were not provided within the work area for immediate emergency use:           a.)  RDG Group, Inc., BFG Manufacturing Services, Inc., Punxsutawney Finishing Works, Inc., 701 Martha Street, Punxsutawney, PA-eyewash station next to line 21, on or about June 2, 2014, and times prior thereto:  Company employees work with and around corrosive chemicals, including, but not limited to, Hydrochloric Acid.  The emergency eyewash station next to production line 21 was not in compliance with ANSI 358.1-1998 for Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment in that:        1)      The plumbed eyewash unit next to production line 21 was not operational in that, upon activation, the eyewash unit did not provide flushing fluid to both eyes simultaneously.

Issued

Aug 15, 2014

Abate by

Sep 11, 2014

Penalty

Initial $3,600 · Current $2,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(e)(1): Before entry was authorized, the employer did not document the completion of measures required by 29 CFR 1910.146(d)(3) by preparing an entry permit:       a.)RDG Group, Inc., BFG Manufacturing Services, Inc., Punxsutawney Finishing Works, Inc., 701 Martha Street, Punxsutawney, PA-production line 22, on or about June 2, 2014, and times prior thereto:  Company employees periodically entered and performed work in electroplating tanks to conduct cleaning and maintenance operations.  Prior to entry into the company's permit required confined spaces, which included but were not limited to,  Zinc plating tank, and Paragon Plus tank, entry permits were not completed.

Issued

Aug 15, 2014

Abate by

Sep 11, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(d)(9): The employer did not develop and implement procedures for summoning rescue and emergency services, for rescuing entrants from permit spaces, for providing necessary emergency services to rescued employees, and/or for preventing unauthorized entry:       a.)RDG Group, Inc., BFG Manufacturing Services, Inc., Punxsutawney Finishing Works, Inc. , 701 Martha Street, Punxsutawney, PA-production line 22, on or about June 2, 2014, and times prior thereto:  Company employees periodically entered and performed work in permit required confined spaces located in the facility which included, but were not limited to, Zinc plating tank, and Paragon Plus tank.  The company's confined space entry program did not include procedures for summoning rescue and/or emergency services in the event an entrant was injured/incapacitated and unable to remove themselves from the space.

Issued

Aug 15, 2014

Abate by

Oct 2, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(d)(8): Under the permit-required confined space program required by 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4), the employer did not designate the persons who were to have active roles in entry operations, identify the duties of each such employee:    a.)RDG Group, Inc., BFG Manufacturing Services, Inc., Punxsutawney Finishing Works, Inc.,701 Martha Street, Punxsutawney, PA-production line 22, on or about June 2, 2014, and times prior thereto:  Company employees periodically entered and performed work in permit required confined spaces located in the facility which included, but were not limited to, Zinc plating tank, and Paragon Plus tank.  The Company's Confined Space entry program did not designate persons with active roles during entries.  Designation and responsibilities of authorized entrants, attendants, and entry supervisors were not included in the program.

Issued

Aug 15, 2014

Abate by

Sep 11, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(c)(1): The employer did not evaluate the workplace to determine if any spaces were permit-required confined spaces:       a.)RDG Group, Inc., BFG Manufacturing Services, Inc., Punxsutawney Finishing Works, Inc.,701 Martha Street, Punxsutawney, PA-production line 22, on or about June 2, 2014, and times prior thereto:  The Company's evaluation of their workplace did not identify tanks including but not limited to, Zinc Plating Tank, Paragon Plus Tank, as permit required confined spaces.

Issued

Aug 15, 2014

Abate by

Sep 11, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(c)(2): The employer did not inform exposed employees, by posting danger signs or by any other equally effective means, of the existence and location of and the danger posed by the permit spaces:     a.)RDG Group, Inc., BFG Manufacturing Services, Inc., Punxsutawney Finishing Works, Inc.,701 Martha Street, Punxsutawney, PA-production line 22, on or about June 2, 2014, and times prior thereto:  Company's tanks including but not limited to, Zinc Plating Tank, and Paragon Plus Tank were not labeled with signage stating: DANGER PERMIT-REQUIRED CONFINED SPACE, DO NOT ENTER or similar language.

Issued

Aug 15, 2014

Abate by

Oct 2, 2014

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(d)(10): Under the permit-required confined space program required by 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4), the employer did not develop and implement a system for the preparation, issuance, use, and cancellation of entry permits as required by 29 CFR 1910.146:    a.)RDG Group, Inc., BFG Manufacturing Services, Inc., Punxsutawney Finishing Works, Inc.,701 Martha Street, Punxsutawney, PA-production line 22, on or about June 2, 2014, and times prior thereto:  Company employees periodically entered and performed work in permit required confined spaces located in the facility which included, but were not limited to, Zinc plating tank, and Paragon Plus tank.  The company's Confined Space entry program did not include a description of the development and implementation of entry permits.

Issued

Aug 15, 2014

Abate by

Sep 11, 2014

Penalty

Initial $2,700 · Current $1,415 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.242(b): Compressed air used for cleaning purposes was not reduced to less than 30 p.s.i.:       a.)    RDG Group, Inc., BFG Manufacturing Services, Inc., Punxsutawney Finishing Works, Inc., 701 Martha Street, Punxsutawney, PA-Parts line 22, on or about June 2, 2014, and times prior thereto:  Company employees were utilizing compressed air to clean/dry off round rods that were saturated with water/debris.  Measurements of the compressed air next to line 22 ranged from 36 p.s.i. to 55 p.s.i.