OSHA Inspection: CONSOLIDATED WOOD PRODUCTS, INC.

Issued

Apr 30, 2015

Abate by

Sep 7, 2015

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $1,600 Reduced

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:     The employer implement feasible administrative controls or engineering controls when an employee who worked in the wooden stake manufacturing area, and were subjected to sound exceeding those listed in Table G-16 were not utilized:     (a) A wooden stake machine operator employee was exposed to continuous noise levels at 142.7% of the allowable 8 hour time-weighted average(TWA) permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 90dB-A. The equivalent level of 142.7% is approximately 92.5 dB. Sampling was performed for 438 minutes during one shift. Zero exposure was assumed for 42 minutes not sampled.         General methods of control applicable in these circumstances include, but not limited to:     1) Installation of wall panels and ceiling baffles made of acoustical absorption: i.e. flexible, fiberglass material, mineral or wood fiber boards or sound absorbent blankets to reduce the noise exposure from reverberating sounds.      2) Limit the length or time machine operators spend in the wooden stake manufacturing area by rotating assignments.         3) Reduce the number of saw blades on the gang saw when it is operating to reduce the overall noise around the operator.        4) Move the gang saw machine further away from the operator to reduce the overall noise from the operators audio zone.        5) Reduce the thickness of the saw blades and use carbon based saw blades (carbide) to reduce overall noise from the gang saw and pencil point machine.

Issued

Apr 30, 2015

Abate by

Sep 7, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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:     The employer did not administer a hearing conservation program for employees, who worked in the wooden product manufacturing area, and were exposed to noise that had exceeded an 8-hour TWA of 85 dBA, based on an 80 dB threshold:     (a)   A machine operator employee was exposed to continuous noise levels at 83.4% of the permissible 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) . The equivalent level of 83.4% is approximately 88.6 dBA. Sampling was performed for 363 minutes during one shift. Zero exposure was assumed for the 117 minutes not sampled;     (b)  A wooden stake machine operator was exposed to continuous noise levels at 67.98% of the permissible 8-hour time weighted average (TWA). The equivalent level of 67.98% is approximately 87.2 dBA. Sampling was performed for 398 minutes during one shift. Zero exposure was assumed for 82 minutes not sampled;     (c)   A wooden stake machine operator employee was exposed to continuous noise levels at 110.6% of the permissible 8-hour time weighted average (TWA). The equivalent level of 110.6% is approximately 90.7dB. Sampling was performed for 427 minutes during one shift. Zero exposure was assumed for 53 minutes not sampled;     (d)   A chop saw operator employee was exposed to continuous noise levels at 91.62% of the permissible 8-hour time weighted average (TWA). The equivalent level of 91.62% is approximately 89.3 dBA. Sampling was performed for 436 minutes during one shift. Zero exposure was assumed for 44 minutes not sampled;     (e)   A wooden stake machine operator employee was exposed to continuous noise levels at 161.1% of the permissible 8-hour  time weighted average (TWA). The equivalent level of 161.1% is approximately 93.4 dBA. Sampling was performed for 438 minutes during one shift. Zero exposure was assumed for 42 minutes not sampled.