OSHA Inspection: GREEN GOURMET FOODS LLC

Issued

Apr 14, 2015

Abate by

Jun 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $2,450 Reduced

Hazardous substances 81108111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(d)(1): When information indicates that any employee's exposure may equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels, the employer shall develop and implement a monitoring program.    a.  At the work site, the employer had not developed and/or implemented a monitoring system for employees whose noise exposure equaled or exceeded an 8-hour Time Weighted Average (TWA) sound level of 90 decibels or greater as measured on the A scale (slow response). One employee who worked in the QA/Sorting Area was exposed to noise at an average (TWA) sound level of 99.3 decibels or greater as measured on the A scale (slow response) during sampling on February 11, 2015.    b.  At the work site, the employer had not developed and/or implemented a monitoring system for employees whose noise exposure equaled or exceeded an 8-hour Time Weighted Average (TWA) of 90 decibels or greater as measured on the A scale (slow response). One employee who worked in the tub checking area was exposed to noise at an average (TWA) sound level of 101.8 decibels or greater as measured on the A scale (slow response) during sampling on February 11, 2015.    c.  At the work site, the employer had not developed and/or implemented a monitoring system for employees whose noise exposure equaled or exceeded an 8-hour Time Weighted Average  (TWA) sound level of 90 decibels or greater as measured on the A scale (slow response). One employee who worked in the mashed potato room was exposed to noise at an average (TWA) sound level of 95.8 decibels or greater as measured on the A scale (slow response) during sampling on February 11, 2015.    d.  At the work site, the employer had not developed and/or implemented a monitoring system for employees whose noise exposure equaled or exceeded an 8-hour Time Weighted Average  (TWA) sound level of 90 decibels or greater as measured on the A scale (slow response). One employee who worked in the Mash potato room seasoning addition area was exposed to noise at an average (TWA) sound level of 90.4 decibels or greater as measured on the A scale (slow response) during sampling on February 11, 2015.

Issued

Apr 14, 2015

Abate by

Jun 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 81108111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(g)(1): The employer shall establish and maintain an audiometric testing program as provided in this paragraph by making audiometric testing available to all employees whose exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels.      a.  At the work site, the employer had not established an audiometric testing program for each exposed employee. An employee working in the Tub Lid Monitoring area was exposed to continuous noise at 511.9% (90 threshold) which exceeded the action level of 50%, an 8-hour Time Weighted Average (TWA) sound level of 90 dBA.  The employee's 8-hour TWA sound level was approximately 101.8 dBA during the 472 minute sampling period on February 11, 2015.  Exposure calculation included a zero increment for the 8 minutes not sampled.    b.  At the work site, the employer had not established an audiometric testing program for each exposed employee. An employee working in the Quality Assurance Monitoring area was exposed to continuous noise at 362.7% (90 threshold) which exceeded the action level of 50%, an 8-hour Time Weighted Average (TWA) sound level of 90 dBA.  The employee's 8-hour TWA sound level was approximately 99.3 dBA during the 455 minute sampling period on February 11, 2015.  Exposure calculation included a zero increment for the 25 minutes not sampled.    c.  At the work site, the employer had not established an audiometric testing program for each exposed employee. An employee working in the Mash Room Dairy addition area was exposed to continuous noise at 105.2% (90 threshold) which exceeded the action level of 50%, an 8-hour Time Weighted Average (TWA) sound level of 90 dBA.  The employee's 8-hour TWA sound level was approximately 90.4 dBA during the 477 minute sampling period on February 11, 2015.  Exposure calculation included a zero increment for the 3 minutes not sampled.    d.  At the work site, the employer had not established an audiometric testing program for each exposed employee. An employee working in the Mash Room Shaker Table area was exposed to continuous noise at 223.0% (90 threshold) which exceeded the action level of 50%, an 8-hour Time Weighted Average (TWA) sound level of 90 dBA.  The employee's 8-hour TWA sound level was approximately 95.8 dBA during the 460 minute sampling period on February 11, 2015.  Exposure calculation included a zero increment for the 20 minutes not sampled.

Issued

Apr 14, 2015

Abate by

Jun 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 81108111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(i)(3): Employees shall be given the opportunity to select their hearing protectors from a variety of suitable hearing protectors provided by the employer.    a.  At the work site located at 515 North Main Street in Baltimore, Ohio, the employer required all employees who worked in the plant to wear hearing protection.  The employer offered only one type of hearing protection for all employees.

Issued

Apr 14, 2015

Abate by

Jun 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $3,150 · Current $1,575 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii): The procedures shall clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, and techniques to be utilized for the control of hazardous energy, and the means to enforce compliance including, but not limited to, the following:    29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(B): Specific procedural steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy;    a.  At the work site, the employer had a lock out/tag out program with procedures and techniques for locking out/tagging out equipment used to process, cook and package potatoes. The lock out/tag out program was inadequate in that it did not include specific locations of and detailed methods for each lock out/tag out site on each machine.