OSHA Inspection: G & F RECYCLING AND SALVAGE, INC.

Issued

Aug 4, 2015

Abate by

Sep 28, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $2,940 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 struck by hazards from vehicles/equipment to include but not limited to garbage trucks, wheel loaders and forklifts:    Workplace,  142 Frelinghuysen Ave, Newark, NJ, Main Building, Single Stream Paper Raw and Finished Materials Storage Areas and Yard, Commingled Materials Raw and Finished Materials Storage Yard     a) On or about 05/21/2015 employees performing cleaning, sorting, bail repackaging, mechanic, and administrative duties, were exposed to the hazard of being struck when working and walking in limited work space shared with recycling refuse collection and materials handling equipment including Mack garbage trucks,  Caterpillar wheel loaders and a Caterpillar powered industrial truck.   Areas where these vehicles operate and employees walk and work include the area between the Loading Dock columns or walls and the tipping pile of raw paper moved by an excavator with a  width of approximately 19 feet, the area between the Single Stream Paper processing line and the loading dock which has a width and span of approximately 20 feet by 50 feet, and the area between the paper bailer and comingled bailer that spans approximately 21 feet by 40 feet with a portion limited to a span of approximately 9 feet where a wall perpendicular to this span is located.      b) On or about 05/21/2015 employees performing cleaning, sorting, bail repackaging, mechanic, and administrative duties, were exposed to the hazard of being struck when working and walking in areas where Caterpillar wheel loaders with damage and/or disrepair were operated.  The 902  Caterpillar wheel loader serial number 7ES00473 was operated with the following damage and malfunctioning devices:  broken off/missing left and right rear view mirrors,  front window was broken with spider type glass break obstructing the operator's view, rear window was broken with spider type glass break obstructing the operator's view, warning horn on the steering wheel non operative, one of the two front lights that illuminate the operator's front view was broken, front windshield wiper did not work and the rear windshield wiper was not functioning and missing.  In addition, a seat belt was available but not used by the operator.    The 902  Caterpillar wheel loader serial number 7ES00471 was operated with the following damage and malfunctioning devices:  no external side rear view mirrors to assist the operator in rear view operation, missing left front light that illuminates operator's front view, spider type glass break obstructing the operator's view and a damaged door that would not close properly reducing the operator's protection.  In addition, a seat belt was available but not used by the operator.     The 924G  Caterpillar wheel loader serial number HDDA82723  was operated with the following damage and malfunctioning devices: front right light signal lamp was broken off the main light assembly and the front left light was broken wrapped in tape and did not function.  In addition, a seat belt was available but not used by the operator.

Issued

Aug 4, 2015

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,100 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) and toeboards:Note:  Toeboards are only required when persons can pass, there is moving equipment or there is equipment with which falling materials could create a hazard.      Workplace, 142 Frelinghuysen Ave, Newark, NJ, Second Floor Commingled Recycling Line    Employees were exposed to fall hazards while walking and working on the platform walkways East of the interior commingled recycling line and the platform walkway that leads to the input conveyor to the beginning of the commingled processing line.  On the North side of these walkways, there was an open sided floor with a fall hazard of approximately 7 feet to the pile of plastics on the ground level  below. On the South side of these walkways, there was an open sided floor with a fall hazard of approximately 11 feet to concrete below.     Violation occurred on or about 2/12/2015

Issued

Aug 4, 2015

Abate by

Nov 27, 2015

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,100 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.36(g)(1): The ceiling of an exit route was not at least seven feet six inches (2.3 m) high:    Workplace, 142 Frelinghuysen Ave, Newark, NJ    a) Workers in the Aluminum Can Picking Line Station have one of two egress pathways under a recycling plastics materials hopper and eventually to the front of the building and the Stanton St. refuge area.   The recycling materials hopper South projection limits the height of this egress to approximately 4 1/2 feet from the ground.     b) Workers in the Aluminum Can Picking Line Station, have one of two egress pathways under a recycling materials hopper to the exterior commingled material bays and input hoppers, and then back around the hopper under a second North projection and eventually through the main building to the Stanton St. refuge area.   The North recycling plastics hopper projection limits the height of this  egress pathway to 4 1/2 feet.     Violation occurred on or about 3/19/2015

Issued

Aug 4, 2015

Abate by

Nov 27, 2015

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,100 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.36(g)(2): Exit access(es) were not at least 28 inches (71.1 cm) wide at all points:    Workplace, 142 Frelinghuysen Ave, Newark, NJ     a) The egress from the South end of the Second Floor Commingled Sorting Line where employees clean around the input conveyor at the beginning of the line, to the two parallel stairways that lead to the yard and to the Stanton St. refuge area, was obstructed by three conveyor equipment covers or protrusions limiting the egress to 22 inches, 24 inches, and 20 inches, respectively.     b) The egress pathway from the Aluminum Can Picking Line Station to the Commingled Yard where the materials bays and commingled input are located was obstructed by motors and conveyor equipment limiting the width to 8 inches.     c) The egress pathway from the  Commingled Yard where the materials bays and commingled input was located back under the North side of the recycling plastics hopper and conveyor and through an opening in the yard wall  was obstructed to 15 inches and 20 inches, respectively.       Violations occurred on or about 2-12-15 and 3/19/2015

Issued

Aug 4, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $2,940 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.37(a)(3): Exit route(s) were not kept free and unobstructed:    Workplace, 142 Frelinghuysen Ave, Newark, NJ     a) Exit routes were not maintained for employees working on the Second Floor Single Stream Recycling Line Platform.     1.  The egress from the north exit routes, the West ladder and middle and East stairway, to the ground floor area leading to the front of the facility to Stanton St., was blocked by pallets of compressed cardboard.    2.  The egress from  Southwest exit route stairway to the truck scale and pathway to Stanton St., was obstructed by approximately 3 feet of recycling debris.     3.  The egress from the South middle ladder exit route to the ground floor area leading to the front of the facility to Stanton St. was blocked by debris collected inside of the ladder cage to the 2nd floor level.    4.  The egress from the Southeast ladder exit route to the ground floor area leading to the front of the facility to Stanton St. was blocked by debris at the bottom of the ladder cage.      b) Exit routes were not maintained for employees working on the Second Floor Commingled Glass, Metal and Plastic Recycling Line Platform.    1. The Northeast stairway leading to and from the employee break room to the second floor comingled line was obstructed by a small amount of debris and materials at the base of stairway.    2. The  Southeast stairway abutting the interior West wall of the main building was obstructed by approximately 6 feet of recycling debris.    3. The Southeast stairway immediately adjacent to the the stairway referenced in f) above, abutting the exterior West wall of the main building, was obstructed by approximately 6 feet of recycling debris.     c. Exit routes were not maintained for employees working on the Aluminum Can Picking Line Station and the Outdoor Comingled Tipping Floor.  The egress route to the Stanton St. refuge location was completely blocked by recycling debris piled approximately 10 feet high.        Violations occurred on or about 2/12/2015 and 3/19/2015

Issued

Aug 4, 2015

Abate by

Sep 28, 2015

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,100 Reduced

Hazardous substances 81108111

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 1910.9(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:    Workplace, 142 Frelinghuysen Ave, Newark, NJ    a) An employee working as a commingled recycling materials sorter was exposed to continuous noise levels at 131.3% of the permissible daily noise exposure (8 hour Time Weighted Average sound level of 90dBA) which is 1.31 times the allowable exposure limit.  The action level (AL) is 85 dBA.  The equivalent sound level of the measured dose is 91.9 dBA.  Sampling was performed for 421 minutes on 03/19/15 with the unsampled portion of time considered to represent zero for the exposure calculation.    b) An employee working as  a commingled recycling materials sorter was exposed to continuous noise levels at 155.5% of the permissible daily noise exposure (8 hour Time Weighted Average sound level of 90dBA) which is 1.55 times the allowable exposure limit.  The action level (AL) is 85 dBA.  The equivalent sound level of the measured dose is  93.18 dBA.  Sampling was performed for 419 minutes on 03/19/15 with the unsampled portion of time considered to represent zero for the exposure calculation.    c) An employee working as a commingled recycling materials sorter was exposed to continuous noise levels at 83.4% of the permissible daily noise exposure (8 hour Time Weighted Average sound level of 90dBA) which is 0.83  times the allowable exposure limit.  The action level (AL) is 85 dBA.  The equivalent sound level of the measured dose is 88.69 dBA.  Sampling was performed for 419 minutes on 03/19/15 with the unsampled portion of time considered to represent zero for the exposure calculation.    d) An employee working as a commingled recycling materials sorter on the aluminum sorting conveyor station was exposed to continuous noise levels at 265% of the permissible daily noise exposure (8 hour Time Weighted Average sound level of 90dBA) which is 2.65 times the allowable exposure limit.  The action level (AL) is 85 dBA.  The equivalent sound level of the measured dose is 97.0 dBA.  Sampling was performed for 390 minutes on 03/19/15 with the unsampled portion of time considered to represent zero for the exposure calculation.

Issued

Aug 4, 2015

Abate by

Sep 28, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1): The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace:     Workplace, 142 Frelinghuysen Ave, Newark, NJ    The employer failed to provide medical evaluations for employees required to wear N-95 filtering facepiece respirators while working on the Single Stream Paper Line and the Commingled Line.     Violation occurred on or about 3/12/2015 and 3/19/2015

Issued

Aug 4, 2015

Abate by

Sep 28, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(1): The employer did not ensure that employee(s) required to use a tight-fitting facepiece respirator passed the appropriate qualitative fit test (QLFT) or quantitative fit test (QNFT):    Workplace, 142 Frelinghuysen Ave, Newark, NJ    The employer failed to provide fit tests for workers on the Single Stream Paper Line and the Commingled Line required to wear N-95 filtering facepiece respirators.      Violation occurred on or about 3/12/2015 and 3/19/2015

Issued

Aug 4, 2015

Abate by

Sep 28, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $2,940 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(i): Procedures were not utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees were engaged in activities covered by this section:    Workplace, 142 Frelinghuysen Ave, Newark, NJ    a) Employees enter the Green Machine Single Stream Paper Recycling star screens, to manually remove accumulated material that jams the star screens.  The employer did not utilize procedures to protect the employees from injury or death from start up of the machine while they were kneeling and walking on the star screens to clean out the debris.  The lead sorter who enters the star screen removes the control panel key but does not apply a lock.  The other employees that enter do not apply their own locks.      b) Employees enter the Green Machine Commingled  Recycling glass breaker to manually remove accumulated material that jams the glass breaker teeth.  The employer did not utilize procedures to protect the employees from injury or death from start up of the machine while they were kneeling and walking on the glass breaker teeth to clean out the debris.  The lead sorter who enters the star screen shuts off the local switch, posts an employee at the control panel but does not apply a lock.   Other employees involved in the cleanout do no apply their own locks.     c) Employees repairing the Commingled Line rotating trommel sieve stabilizer wheels do not utilize procedures to protect the employees from injury from start up of the trommel  and stabilizer wheels.    Violations occurred on or about  3/12/2015 and 3/19/2015

Issued

Aug 4, 2015

Abate by

Sep 28, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $2,940 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(B): The energy control procedures did not clearly and specifically outline the steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy:    Workplace, 142 Frelinghuysen Ave, Newark, NJ    a) Employees enter the Green Machine Single Stream Paper Recycling star screens, to manually remove accumulated material that jams the star screens.  The company energy control procedure did not clearly and specifically outlines the steps for shutting down, isolating, and securing the machine prior to such maintenance activity.      b) Employees enter the Green Machine Commingled  Recycling glass breaker to manually remove accumulated material that jams the glass breaker teeth.  The company energy control procedure did not clearly and specifically outlines the steps for shutting down, isolating, and securing the machine prior to such maintenance activity.      c) Employees repair the Commingled Line rotating trommel sieve stabilizer wheels without the use of an energy control procedure that clearly and specifically outlines the steps for shutting down, isolating, and securing the machine prior to such maintenance activity.      Violations occurred on or about  3/12/2015 and 3/19/2015

Issued

Aug 4, 2015

Abate by

Sep 28, 2015

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,100 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.157(g)(1): An educational program was not provided for all employees to familiarize them with the general principles of fire extinguisher use and the hazards involved with incipient stage fire fighting:    Workplace, 142 Frelinghuysen Ave, Newark, NJ    a) The employer provided fire extinguishers for use by employees where bails of paper are stored or where materials are sorted on conveyors.  Workers were not trained on fire extinguisher use and the hazards involved with incipient stage fire fighting.    Violation occurred on or about 2/12/2015    Abatement Note:  One method of abatement is training the employees in immediate evacuation according to the requirements outlined in 29 CFR 1910.38.

Issued

Aug 4, 2015

Abate by

Sep 28, 2015

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,100 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(1)(i): The employer did not ensure that each powered industrial truck operator is competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely, as demonstrated by the successful completion of the training and evaluation specified in this paragraph (l):    Workplace, 142 Frelinghuysen Ave, Newark, NJ    a) The employer did not ensure that employees operating powered industrial trucks including a Caterpillar Model # DP 25 K to move materials including palletized bails of recycled materials completed required forklift training.    Violation occurred on or about 2/12/2015

Issued

Aug 4, 2015

Abate by

Sep 28, 2015

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $1,260 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): Employer had not developed or implemented a written hazard communication program included the requirements outlined in 29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1)(i) and (e)(1)(ii):     Workplace, 142 Frelinghuysen Ave, Newark, NJ    a) The employer did not develop and implement a written hazard communication program for employees required to use bleach containing sodium hypochlorite to clean throughout the facility.        Violation occurred on or about 2/12/2015

Issued

Aug 4, 2015

Abate by

Sep 28, 2015

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:    Workplace, 142 Frelinghuysen Ave, Newark, NJ    a) The employer did not maintain a safety data sheet for bleach which contains sodium hypochlorite and is used by employees to clean throughout the facility.      Violation occurred on or about 2/12/2015

Issued

Aug 4, 2015

Abate by

Sep 28, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(3)(ii): Employee training did not include the physical and health hazards of the chemicals in the work area:    Workplace, 142 Frelinghuysen Ave, Newark, NJ    a) Employees were not trained on the hazards of bleach containing sodium hypochlorite which is used to clean throughout the facility.     Violation occurred  on or about 2/12/2015

Issued

Aug 4, 2015

Penalty

Initial $700 · Current $420 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1904.40(a): The employer did not provide an authorized government representative records kept under Part 1904 within four (4) business hours:    Workplace, 142 Frelinghuysen Ave, Newark, NJ     a) On 2/12/2015 at approximately 3:00 PM copies of company injury and illness records (2011-2014) were requested from the employer on site by the compliance officer. Another request was made for such records on 2/13/2015 at 1:59 PM. These records were not provided to OSHA until 02/20/2015 at 4:38 PM, some 6 business days after the onsite request.