OSHA Inspection: PECO PALLET, INCORPORATED

Issued

Aug 5, 2015

Abate by

Sep 9, 2015

Penalty

Initial $3,600 · Current $3,600

Hazardous substances 81108111

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) PECO Pallet:  An employee, Pallet Repairer at Line 3 Table 19, was exposed to continuous noise at 157.9 % of the exposure level of 85 dBA or an 8-hour time-weighted average of 93.3 dBA.  This exposure was observed over a 443 minute sampling period.  Zero exposure was assumed for the 37 minutes not sampled.  The employer did not provide all employees with a baseline audiogram within 6 months of their first noise exposure at or above the action level of 85 dBA (8-hour time-weighted average), discovered on or about 03/31/2015.  b) PECO Pallet:  An employee, Pallet Repairer at Line 1 Table 4, was exposed to continuous noise at 105.1 % of the exposure level of 85 dBA or an 8-hour time-weighted average of 90.4 dBA.  This exposure was observed over a 438 minute sampling period.  Zero exposure was assumed for the 42 minutes not sampled.  The employer did not provide all employees with a baseline audiogram within 6 months of their first noise exposure at or above the action level of 85 dBA (8-hour time-weighted average), discovered on or about 03/31/2015.  ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

Issued

Aug 5, 2015

Abate by

Sep 9, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 81108111

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) PECO Pallet:  An employee, Pallet Repairer at Line 2 Table 13, was exposed to continuous noise at 151.2 % of the exposure level of 85 dBA or an 8-hour time-weighted average of 93.0 dBA.  This exposure was observed over a 461 minute sampling period.  Zero exposure was assumed for the 19 minutes not sampled.  The employer did not provide all employees with an annual audiogram within 1 year their baseline audiogram, discovered on or about 03/31/2015.  b) PECO Pallet:  An employee, Pallet Repairer at Line 1 Table 5, was exposed to continuous noise at 130.6 % of the exposure level of 85 dBA or an 8-hour time-weighted average of 91.9 dBA.  This exposure was observed over a 460 minute sampling period.  Zero exposure was assumed for the 20 minutes not sampled.  The employer did not provide all employees with an annual audiogram within 1 year their baseline audiogram, discovered on or about 03/31/2015.  ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

Issued

Aug 5, 2015

Abate by

Feb 8, 2016

Penalty

Initial $49,500 · Current $7,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 81108111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(b)(1): When employees were subjected to sound exceeding those listed in Table G-16, feasible administrative or engineering controls were not utilized:    a) PECO Pallet:  An employee, Pallet Repairer at Line 3 Table 19, was exposed to continuous noise at 157.9 % of the exposure level of 85 dBA or an 8-hour time-weighted average of 93.3 dBA.  This exposure was observed over a 443 minute sampling period.  Zero exposure was assumed for the 37 minutes not sampled.  The employer did not utilize feasible administrative or engineering controls to reduce sound levels for those employees exposed over the permissible exposure limit of 90 dBA, discovered on or about 03/31/2015.     b) PECO Pallet:  An employee, Pallet Repairer at Line 2 Table 13, was exposed to continuous noise at 151.2 % of the exposure level of 85 dBA or an 8-hour time-weighted average of 93.0 dBA.  This exposure was observed over a 461 minute sampling period.  Zero exposure was assumed for the 19 minutes not sampled.  The employer did not utilize feasible administrative or engineering controls to reduce sound levels for those employees exposed over the permissible exposure limit of 90 dBA, discovered on or about 03/31/2015.      ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED    PECO Pallet, Incorporated was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard, which was contained in OSHA inspection number 959440, citation number 01, item number 01a, and was affirmed as a final order on 08/26/2014, with respect to a workplace located at 1104 North Park Drive, Hazleton, PA 18202.        Among other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct these hazards include, but are not limited to the following:    1. Install noise barriers (sound curtains) between the pallet repair workstations.    2. Increase the distance between pallet repair lines.    3. Apply sound dampening material to pallet repair workstation metal tabletops.    4. Install mufflers on the compressed air exhaust of pneumatic nail guns.      5. Apply sound dampening material on the piston assembly of pneumatic nail guns to reduce impact noise created when the piston strikes the front bumper.    6. Rotation or movement of employees into areas of low noise levels to reduce their daily exposure and train/instruct employees not to remain near sources of hazardous noise when their presence is not necessary.        ABATEMENT NOTE:      Step 1:  A written detailed plan of abatement shall be submitted to the Area Director outlining a schedule for the implementation of engineering and/or administrative measures to control employee exposures to noise as referenced in this citation.  This plan shall include, at a minimum, target dates for the following actions which must be consistent with the dates required by this citation:      1) Evaluation of engineering control options;      2) Selection of optimum control method and completion of design;      3) Procurement, installation and operation of selected control measures;      4) Testing and acceptance or modification/redesign of controls.      All proposed control measures shall be evaluated for each particular use by a competent industrial hygienist or other technically qualified person.  45-day progress reports are required during the abatement period.      Step 2:  Abatement shall have been completed by the implementation of feasible engineering and/or administrative controls upon verification of their effectiveness in achieving compliance.      Date by which violates must be abated:  Step 1  XX/XX/XXXX      Date by which violates must be abated:  Step 2  XX/XX/XXXX

Issued

Aug 5, 2015

Penalty

Initial $1,000 · Current $1,000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1904.39(a)(2): The employer did not report an in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye as a result of a work-related incident to OSHA within twenty-four (24) hours:  a) PECO Pallet:  On January 24, 2015, an employee suffered a work-related injury that resulted in the employee being hospitalized and the employer failed to report the injury to OSHA within 24 hours, discovered on or about 03/26/2015.   ABATED DURING INSPECTION NO ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

Issued

Aug 5, 2015

Abate by

Sep 9, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(3)(iv): Employee training did not include the details of the hazard communication program developed by the employer, including an explanation of the labels received on shipped containers and the workplace labeling system used by their employer; the safety data sheet, including the order of information and how employees can obtain and use the appropriate hazard information:  a) PECO Pallet:  Employees worked with hazardous chemicals, including, but not limited to, Kelly-Moore Red Latex Pallet Paint, and the employer did not provide these employees with the required OSHA Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) training prior to the effective date of December 1, 2013, discovered on or about 03/31/2015.   ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED