OSHA Inspection: WAUPACA FOUNDRY INC. (PLANT 2,3)

Issued

Jul 29, 2016

Abate by

Sep 7, 2016

Penalty

Initial $2,550 · Current $1,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1290

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1048(n)(1): The employer did not ensure that all employees who were assigned to workplaces where there was exposure to formaldehyde participated in a training program:    On or about March 9, 2016, the employer did not ensure that all employees who were assigned to workplaces where there was exposure to formaldehyde at or above 0.1 parts per million (ppm) participated in a formaldehyde training program:    a)  At the Core 31 machine in Plant 3 Core Room, a Core Room operator was exposed to formaldehyde at a level of 0.14 ppm as an 8-hour TWA on April 27, 2016. This exposure was determined by air sampling conducted over 511 minutes.    b)  At the Core 34 machine in Plant 3 Core Room, a Core Room operator was exposed to formaldehyde at a level of 0.23 ppm as an 8-hour TWA on April 27, 2016. This exposure was determined by air sampling conducted over 497 minutes.    c)  At the Core 13 machine in Plant 3 Core Room, a Core Room operator was exposed to formaldehyde at a level of 0.16 ppm as an 8-hour TWA on April 28, 2016. This exposure was determined by air sampling conducted over 491 minutes.    d)  At the Core 12 machine in Plant 3 Core Room, a Core Room operator was exposed to formaldehyde at a level of 0.40 ppm as an 8-hour TWA on April 28, 2016. This exposure was determined by air sampling conducted over 478 minutes.    All provision of 29 CFR 1910.1048(n)(3)(i) through (vii) must be covered in a formaldehyde training program. Key elements include, but are not limited to the following:    1)  Contents of formaldehyde standard  2)  Signs, symptoms, and health effects of formaldehyde exposure  3)  Reporting of issues to management  4)  Description of formaldehyde sources, routes of entry and safe work practices  5)  Review of spill and emergency procedures

Issued

Jul 29, 2016

Abate by

Jan 9, 2019

Penalty

Initial $50,000 · Current $9,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8110

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)  In the Pattern Cleaning area of Plant 2, a Pattern Cleaner employee was exposed to noise at 1631% (noise dose) of the allowable noise dose of 100% during a sample period of 445 minutes during one shift on March 30, 2016. 1631% is equivalent to an 8-hour TWA sound level of 110.1 dBA.    b)  In the Shakeout area of Plant 3, a Shakeout employee was exposed to noise at 1567.2% (noise dose) of the allowable noise dose of 100% during a sample period of 489 minutes during one shift on March 31, 2016. 1567.2% is equivalent to an 8-hour TWA sound level of 109.8 dBA.    c)  In the Shakeout area of Plant 3, a Shakeout employee was exposed to noise at 1712.2% (noise dose) of the allowable noise dose of 100% during a sample period of 476 minutes during one shift on March 31, 2016. 1712.2% is equivalent to an 8-hour TWA sound level of 110.4 dBA.    d)  In the Shakeout area of Plant 3, a Shakeout employee was exposed to noise at 1777.0% (noise dose) of the allowable noise dose of 100% during a sample period of 480 minutes during one shift on March 31, 2016. 1777.0% is equivalent to an 8-hour TWA sound level of 110.7 dBA.    e)  In the Shakeout area of Plant 3, a Shakeout employee was exposed to noise at 1785.2% (noise dose) of the allowable noise dose of 100% during a sample period of 484 minutes during one shift on March 31, 2016. 1785.2% is equivalent to an 8-hour TWA sound level of 110.8 dBA.    f)  In the Shakeout area of Plant 3, a Shakeout employee was exposed to noise at 1621.6% (noise dose) of the allowable noise dose of 100% during a sample period of 485 minutes during one shift on March 31, 2016. 1621.6% is equivalent to an 8-hour TWA sound level of 110.1 dBA.    g)  In the Shakeout area of Plant 3, a Shakeout employee was exposed to noise at 2030.3% (noise dose) of the allowable noise dose of 100% during a sample period of 471 minutes during one shift on March 31, 2016. 2030.3% is equivalent to an 8-hour TWA sound level of 111.7 dBA.    h)  In the Shakeout area of Plant 3, a Shakeout employee was exposed to noise at 1872.7% (noise dose) of the allowable noise dose of 100% during a sample period of 473 minutes during one shift on March 21, 2016. 1872.7% is equivalent to an 8-hour TWA sound level of 111.1 dBA.    i)   In the Pattern Cleaning area of Plant 3, a Pattern Cleaner employee was exposed to noise at 792.1% (noise dose) of the allowable noise dose of 100% during a sample period of 490 minutes during one shift on May 4, 2016. 792.1% is equivalent to an 8-hour TWA sound level of 104.9 dBA.    Applicable administrative or engineering controls may include, but are not limited to the following:    1.  Conduct thorough noise studies in the Pattern Cleaning Areas (Plant 2 and Plant 3) and the Shakeout shacks (Plant 3) to verify noise sources, source noise frequencies, reflective surfaces and employee operations/positions for most effective engineering controls.    2.  Pattern Cleaning (Plant 2 and Plant 3)    i)  Enclose the abrasive blasting of patterns and isolate the Pattern Cleaner employee from the noise generated during the abrasive blasting of patterns.    ii)  Relocate or redesign the Pattern Cleaning areas by eliminating or reducing the reflective surfaces, such as the cinderblock walls and low metal ceiling, in order to reduce the reverberant noise generated during the abrasive blasting of patterns.    iii)  Institute employee rotation or limit individuals' time at Pattern Cleaning to reduce the amount of time the operator is exposed to noise generated during abrasive blasting of patterns.    3.  Shakeout    i)  Minimixe (to the extent possible) the fall height of castings at the transition from the high frequency screens to the sorting tables.    ii)  Line the underside of the sorting tables with damping material.    iii)  Increase the distance between employees and the high frequency screen.    iv)  Isolate the Shakeout employees from the noise generated by the high frequency screens and sorting tables.    The Waupaca Foundry, Inc. (Plant 1) was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 1910.95(b)(1), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1052486, citation number 1, item number 1 and was affirmed as a final order on October 2, 2015, with respect to a workplace located at 406. Division Street, Waupaca, WI 54981.    The Waupaca Foundry, Inc. (Plant 1) was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 1910.95(b)(1), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 940732, citation number 1, item number 1 and was affirmed as a final order on March 7, 2014, with respect to a workplace located at 406 N. Division Street, Waupaca, WI 54981.