OSHA Inspection: HERB HOLDEN TRUCKING, INC.

Issued

Dec 3, 2018

Abate by

Jan 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $5,174 · Current $2,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.28(b)(7): 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(7): The employer did not ensure that each employee on a walking-working surface near an opening 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level is protected from falling:      Recycling Center;    On or about 8/16/18, employees were exposed to fall hazards from 4 feet or more in two instances:  1. An employee was observed walking on the mid-rail of the picker platform without being tied off.   2. A portable stairway used to enter the electrical trailer was mangled, causing a gap between the top step and the trailer. The top step was 4 feet high and the trailer entrance was approximately 5 feet high.

Issued

Dec 3, 2018

Abate by

Jan 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.29(f)(1)(i): (i) Handrails are not less than 30 inches (76 cm) and not more than 38 inches (97 cm), as measured from the leading edge of the stair tread to the top surface of the handrail (see Figure D-12).  Recycling Center, electrical trailer;  On or about 8/16/18, employees accessed the electrical trailer, that was approximately 5 feet high using 4 foot portable stairs with rebar welded to the side as a handrail at a height of 18 inches from the top step.

Issued

Dec 3, 2018

Abate by

Jan 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $9,054 · Current $3,000 Reduced

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:    Recycling Center, Picker platform:    On or about 8/16/18, the employer did not implement a hearing conservation program for employees exposed to noise levels above the hearing conservation level. An employee working on the picking platform, just before the final crusher, was exposed to a TWA for noise of 97.9 dbA for a period of 6.5 hours. This exposure is more than 200% the permissible exposure limit (90 dbA) and more than 300% the hearing conservation level (85 dbA), for the time sampled.

Issued

Dec 3, 2018

Abate by

Jan 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(d)(1): When information indicated that any employee's exposure equaled or exceed the 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels, the employer did not develop and implement a monitoring program:  Picker's platform;  On or about 8/16/18, the employer had not implemented a monitoring program for employees likely to be exposed to noise levels above an 8-hr TWA of 85 decibels.

Issued

Dec 3, 2018

Abate by

Jan 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(g)(1): The employer did not establish and maintain an audiometric testing program as provided by 29 CFR 1910.95(g) by making audiometric testing available to all employees whose exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels:   On or about 8/16/18, the employer did not provide audiometric testing to employees exposed to noise levels above the hearing conservation level. An employee working on the picking platform, just before the final crusher, was exposed to a TWA for noise of 97.9 dbA for a period of 6.5 hours. This exposure is more than 200% the permissible exposure limit (90 dbA) and 300% the hearing conservation level (85dbA), for the time sampled.

Issued

Dec 3, 2018

Abate by

Jan 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(k)(1): The employer did not train each employee who is exposed to noise at or above an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.95(k). The employer did not institute a training program and ensure employee participation in the program:  Recycling Center, Picker platform;  On or about 8/16/18, the employer did not provide training to employees exposed to noise levels above the 85 decibel hearing conservation level. The TWA for 6.5 hours was measured at 97.9 dbA.

Issued

Dec 3, 2018

Abate by

Jan 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $5,174 · Current $3,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1): A written respiratory protection program that included the provisions in 29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1)(i) - (ix) with worksite specific procedures was not established and implemented for required respirator use:    Recycling Center, picker's platform;    On or about 8/16/18, the employer did not have a written respiratory protection program for employees required to wear a half-face respirator with HEPA filters when working on the picker's platform, near the final crusher. The respirators are worn to protect employees from potential exposure to silica dust.

Issued

Dec 3, 2018

Abate by

Jan 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1): The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace:  Recycling Center, picker's platform;  On or about 8/16/18, the did not provide a medical evaluation to an employee required to wear a tight-fitting half-face respirator with a P100 filter.

Issued

Dec 3, 2018

Abate by

Jan 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(2): Employee(s) using a tight-fitting facepiece respirator were not annually fit tested:  Recycling Center, picker's platform;  On or about 8/16/18, the employer did not provide an annual fit test to an employee required to wear a tight-fitting MSA half-face air-purifying respirator with P100 filters.

Issued

Dec 3, 2018

Abate by

Jan 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(1): The employer did not provide respirator training that ensured that each employee could demonstrate knowledge of at least the following elements: Why the respirator is necessary and how improper fit, usage, or maintenance can compromise the protective effect of the respirator; What the limitations and capabilities of the respirator are; How to use the respirator effectively in emergency situations, including situations in which the respirator malfunctions; How to inspect, put on and remove, use, and check the seals of the respirator; What the procedures are for maintenance and storage of the respirator, and How to recognize medical signs and symptoms that may limit or prevent the effective use of respirators:  Recycling Center, picker's platform;  On or about 8/16/18, the employer did not provide training to employees required to wear a respirator. Tight-fitting half-face respirators with P100 filters were worn by employees picking trash and debris from the material before it enters the final crusher.

Issued

Dec 3, 2018

Abate by

Jan 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $6,467 · Current $5,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(1): The employer did not establish a program consisting of an energy control procedure, employee training and periodic inspections to ensure that before any employee performed any servicing or maintenance on a machine or equipment where the unexpected energizing, startup or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, the machine or equipment shall be isolated from the energy source and rendered inoperative:    Recycling Center;    On or about 8/16/18, the employer had not established a lock out/tag out program to protect employees performing maintenance and/or regular unjamming of equipment from unexpected energizing of the equipment. Metals, such as rebar, get caught in parts of the equipment, such as the conveyor belt or crusher, and need to be retrieved by employees by either climbing onto or reaching into equipment parts that move and can result in a caught in or crush by hazard.

Issued

Dec 3, 2018

Abate by

Jan 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $9,054 · Current $5,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1053(d)(1): The employer did not assess the exposure of each employee who was or may reasonably be expected to be exposed to respirable crystalline silica at or above the action level in accordance with either the performance option in paragraph (d)(2) or the scheduled monitoring option in paragraph (d)(3) of this section:    Recycling Center;    On or about 8/16/18, the employer did not perform an exposure assessment to determine employee exposure to silica when working at the recycling center, performing construction debris crushing operations. While water was used to control the dust at one end of the operation, an employee working before the wetting down was exposed at 48.3 ug/m3 for an 8 hour TWA. The action level is 25 ug/m3 and the PEL is 50 ug/m3.

Issued

Dec 3, 2018

Abate by

Jan 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $9,054 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1053(j)(1): The employer did not include respirable crystalline silica in the program established to comply with the hazard communication standard (HCS) (29 CFR 1910.1200):      Recycling Center;    On or about 8/16/18, the employer did not include silica in a program to comply with the hazard communication standard. Employees at the recycling center perform construction debris crushing operations. While water was used to control the dust at one end of the operation, an employee working before the wetting down was exposed at 48.3 ug/m3 for an 8 hour TWA. The action level is 25 ug/m3 and the PEL is 50 ug/m3.