OSHA Inspection: HENRY RAC HOLDING CORP.

Issued

Jul 26, 2016

Abate by

Sep 12, 2016

Penalty

Initial $6,300 · Current $4,725 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8110

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(g)(8)(ii)(B): Unless a physician determines that the standard threshold shift is not work-related or aggravated by occupational noise exposure, the employer did not ensure, when a standard threshold shift occurs, that for employees already using hearing protectors, employees be refitted and retrained in the use of hearing protectors and provided with hearing protectors offering greater attenuation if necessary:  a)  Polishing  The employer did not refit and retrain an employee with a standard threshold shift.  Two employees in polishing were exposed to continuous noise at 140.8% and 175.7% of the permissible exposure limit (PEL) eight hour time-weighted average sound level of 90 dBA which are 1.41 and 1.76 times the allowable exposure limit.  The equivalent sound levels of the measured doses are 92.5 dBA and 94.0 dBA, respectively.  Sampling was performed for 484 minutes and 482 minutes on 6/9/16. The dosimeter threshold level was set at 90 dBA.  Violation occurred on or about 5/13/16.  b)  Test firing  The employer did not refit and retrain an employee with a standard threshold shift.  Two employees in test firing were exposed to continuous noise at 289.0% and 309.7% of the permissible exposure limit (PEL) eight hour time-weighted average sound level of 90 dBA which are 2.89 and 3.10 times the allowable exposure limit.  The equivalent sound levels of the measured doses are 97.6 dBA and 98.1 dBA, respectively.  Sampling was performed for 443 minutes and 485 minutes on 6/9/16, with the un-sampled portion of time considered to represent zero exposure for the exposure calculation.  The dosimeter threshold level was set at 90 dBA.  Violation occurred on or about 5/13/16.

Issued

Jul 26, 2016

Abate by

Sep 12, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 8110

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(g)(8)(ii)(C): Unless a physician determines that the standard threshold shift is not work-related or aggravated by occupational noise exposure, the employer did not ensure, when a standard threshold shift occurs, the employee was referred for a clinical audiological evaluation or an otological examination, as appropriate, if additional testing is necessary or if the employer suspects that a medical pathology of the ear is caused or aggravated by wearing of hearing protectors:  a)  Polishing department  The employer did not refer an employee with a standard threshold shift for otiological examination.   Two employees in polishing were exposed to continuous noise at 140.8% and 175.7% of the permissible exposure limit (PEL) eight hour time-weighted average sound level of 90 dBA which are 1.41 and 1.76 times the allowable exposure limit.  The equivalent sound levels of the measured doses are 92.5 dBA and 94.0 dBA, respectively.  Sampling was performed for 484 minutes and 482 minutes on 6/9/16. The dosimeter threshold level was set at 90 dBA. Violation occurred on or about 6/3/16.  b)  Test firing department  The employer did not refer an employee with a standard threshold shift for otiological examination.  Two employees in test firing were exposed to continuous noise at 289.0% and 309.7% of the permissible exposure limit (PEL) eight hour time-weighted average sound level of 90 dBA which are 2.89 and 3.10 times the allowable exposure limit.  The equivalent sound levels of the measured doses are 97.6 dBA and 98.1 dBA, respectively.  Sampling was performed for 443 minutes and 485 minutes on 6/9/16, with the un-sampled portion of time considered to represent zero exposure for the exposure calculation.  The dosimeter threshold level was set at 90 dBA.  Violation occurred on or about 6/3/16.

Issued

Jul 26, 2016

Abate by

Sep 12, 2016

Penalty

Initial $6,300 · Current $4,725 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:  a)  Henry RAC Holding Corp., 59 East 1st Street, Bayonne, NJ 07002  Employees were not provided fire extinguisher training.  The company evacuation program stated that if a fire was small in size an attempt should be made to extinguish it with the use of a portable extinguisher.  Workers in the polishing department use class D extinguishers to put out smoldering metal dust fires.  Violation occurred on or about 6/9/16.  Abatement Note:  The employer must either correct the alleged violation or implement a fire safety policy which requires the immediate and total evacuation of employees from the workplace upon the sounding of a fire alarm signal and which includes an emergency action plan and fire prevention plan meeting the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.38 and 29 CFR 1910.39, respectively.

Issued

Jul 26, 2016

Abate by

Sep 12, 2016

Penalty

Initial $6,300 · Current $4,725 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)  Polishing department  Employees used compressed air at approximately 100 psig to clean themselves of dust when exiting the work area.  Violation occurred on or about 6/9/16.

Issued

Jul 26, 2016

Abate by

Aug 5, 2016

Penalty

Initial $900 · Current $675 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1904.10(a): Where an employee's hearing test (audiogram) revealed that the employee had experienced a work-related Standard Threshold Shift (STS) in hearing in one or both ears, and the employee's total hearing level was 25 decibels (dB) or more above audiometric zero (averaged at 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz) in the same ear(s) as the STS, the employer did not record the case on the OSHA 300 Log:  a)  Facility  The employer did not record an employee's standard threshold shift on the OSHA log.  The employee averaged 28.7 dB at frequencies of 2000, 3000 and 4000 Hz in his right ear in his baseline audiogram in 2013 and 38.7 dB in the same ear in 2016.  The 2016 audiometric report was dated 5/5/16.   Violation occurred on or about 6/3/16.

Issued

Jul 26, 2016

Penalty

Initial $12,600 · Current $9,450 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8110

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(g)(5)(ii): Where mobile test vans were used to meet the audiometric testing obligation, the employer did not obtain a valid baseline audiogram within 1 year of an employee's first exposure at or above the action level:  a)  Polishing  The employer did not obtain a baseline audiogram  for all employees in polishing within 12 months of their exposure to noise.  Five workers hired before March 2015 did not receive a baseline audiogram until 4/18/16.  Two employees in polishing were exposed to continuous noise at 140.8% and 175.7% of the permissible exposure limit (PEL) eight hour time-weighted average sound level of 90 dBA which are 1.41 and 1.76 times the allowable exposure limit.  The equivalent sound levels of the measured doses are 92.5 dBA and 94.0 dBA, respectively.  Sampling was performed for 484 minutes and 482 minutes on 6/9/16. The dosimeter threshold level was set at 90 dBA. Violation occurred on or about 2/23/16.  Henry RAC Holding Corp. was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 1910.95(g)(1) which was contained in OSHA inspection number 652078 citation 1, item 1b and was affirmed as a final order on 4/8/13.

Issued

Jul 26, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 8110

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)  Facility  The employer did not obtain a new audiogram in 2015 for employees in test firing and polishing whose noise exposure was established in 2013 to be above 85 dB as an 8 hour time weighted average.  Two employees in polishing were exposed to continuous noise at 140.8% and 175.7% of the permissible exposure limit (PEL) eight hour time-weighted average sound level of 90 dBA which are 1.41 and 1.76 times the allowable exposure limit.  The equivalent sound levels of the measured doses are 92.5 dBA and 94.0 dBA, respectively.  Sampling was performed for 484 minutes and 482 minutes on 6/9/16. The dosimeter threshold level was set at 90 dBA.  Two employees in test firing were exposed to continuous noise at 289.0% and 309.7% of the permissible exposure limit (PEL) eight hour time-weighted average sound level of 90 dBA which are 2.89 and 3.10 times the allowable exposure limit.  The equivalent sound levels of the measured doses are 97.6 dBA and 98.1 dBA, respectively.  Sampling was performed for 443 minutes and 485 minutes on 6/9/16, with the un-sampled portion of time considered to represent zero exposure for the exposure calculation.  The dosimeter threshold level was set at 90 dBA. Violation occurred on or about 5/13/16.  Henry RAC Holding Corp. was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 1910.95(g)(1) which was contained in OSHA inspection number 652078 citation 1, item 1b and was affirmed as a final order on 4/8/13.

Issued

Jul 26, 2016

Penalty

Initial $12,600 · Current $9,450 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8110

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(k)(2): The training program was not repeated annually for each employee included in the hearing conservation program:  a)  Facility  The employer did not conduct noise training in 2015 for all employees in test firing and polishing whose noise exposure was established in 2013 to be above 85 dB as an 8 hour time weighted average.  Two employees in polishing were exposed to continuous noise at 140.8% and 175.7% of the permissible exposure limit (PEL) eight hour time-weighted average sound level of 90 dBA which are 1.41 and 1.76 times the allowable exposure limit.  The equivalent sound levels of the measured doses are 92.5 dBA and 94.0 dBA, respectively.  Sampling was performed for 484 minutes and 482 minutes on 6/9/16. The dosimeter threshold level was set at 90 dBA.  Two employees in test firing were exposed to continuous noise at 289.0% and 309.7% of the permissible exposure limit (PEL) eight hour time-weighted average sound level of 90 dBA which are 2.89 and 3.10 times the allowable exposure limit.  The equivalent sound levels of the measured doses are 97.6 dBA and 98.1 dBA, respectively.  Sampling was performed for 443 minutes and 485 minutes on 6/9/16, with the un-sampled portion of time considered to represent zero exposure for the exposure calculation.  The dosimeter threshold level was set at 90 dBA.  Violation occurred on or about 2/23/16.  Henry RAC Holding Corp. was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 1910.95(k)(1) which was contained in OSHA inspection number 652078 citation 1, item 1c and was affirmed as a final order on 4/8/13.