OSHA Inspection: AVID PALLET SERVICES, LLC

Issued

Mar 12, 2019

Abate by

Apr 2, 2019

Penalty

Initial $13,260 · Current $8,700 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(3)(ii): Point(s) of operation of machinery were not guarded to prevent employee(s) from having any part of their body in the danger zone(s) during operating cycle(s):    The employer did not ensure that the pallet dismantler operators (bandsaw operators) were protected from contact with the bandsaw blade during the pallet dismantling process.

Issued

Mar 12, 2019

Penalty

Initial $8,335 · Current $5,500 Reduced

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:    On or about September 14, 2018, the employer did not provide a medical evaluation to employees in the Band Saw Area to determine each employees' ability to use a respirator before the employees were required to wear a respirator.    a) Band Saw 207 Operator was not medically evaluated prior to initial use of a tight-fitting facepiece respirator.    b) Band Saw 203 Operator was not medically evaluated prior to initial use of a tight-fitting facepiece respirator.    c) Band Saw 206 Operator was not medically evaluated prior to initial use of a tight-fitting facepiece respirator.    d) Band Saw 204 Operator was not medically evaluated prior to initial use of a tight-fitting facepiece respirator.    e) Band Saw 201 Operator was not medically evaluated prior to initial use of a tight-fitting facepiece respirator.

Issued

Mar 12, 2019

Penalty

Initial $10,419 · Current $6,800 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(2): Employee(s) using a tight-fitting facepiece respirator were not fit tested prior to initial use or annually thereafter:    On or about September 14, 2018, the employer did not ensure that all employees working in the Band Saw Area that are required to wear a respirator were fit tested prior to initial use or annually thereafter.    a) Band Saw 207 Operator was not fit tested prior to initial use of a tight-fitting facepiece respirator.    b) Band Saw 203 Operator was not fit tested prior to initial use of a tight-fitting facepiece respirator.    c) Band Saw 206 Operator was not fit tested prior to initial use of a tight-fitting facepiece respirator.    d) Band Saw 204 Operator was not fit tested prior to initial use of a tight-fitting facepiece respirator.    e) Band Saw 201 Operator was not fit tested prior to initial use of a tight-fitting facepiece respirator.    f) Band Saw Helper on the rotation table was not annually fit tested.    g) Band Saw 202 Operator was not annually fit tested.    h) Band Saw 205 Operator was not annually fit tested.    i) Band Saw Helper between Band Saws 202 and 203 was not annually fit tested.

Issued

Mar 12, 2019

Abate by

Apr 2, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(l)(1): Evaluations of the workplace were not conducted to ensure the written respiratory protection program was being effectively implemented:  On September 14, 2018, the employer did not conduct an evaluation of the Band Saw Area to ensure the written respiratory protection was being effective implemented.  a) The employer did not evaluate that employees required to wear respirators were medically evaluated prior to initial use.  b) The employer did not evaluate that employees required to wear respirators were fit tested prior to initial use and annually thereafter.

Issued

Mar 12, 2019

Abate by

Apr 18, 2019

Penalty

Initial $104,192 · Current $68,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(a)(2): Employee(s) were exposed to an airborne concentration of particulates not otherwise regulated (PNOR) - Total Dust listed in Table Z-1 in excess of the 8 hour Time Weighted Average concentration of 15 mg/m3.    The employer does not ensure that Bandsaw operators are not exposed to airborne concentrations of PNOR - Total Dust in excess of 15 mg/m3.  This most recently occurred when two Bandsaw operators were exposed to an 8 hour time weighted average concentration of PNOR-Total Dust in excess of 15 mg/m3. To abate this violation, the employer must ensure that Bandsaw operators are protected from overexposures to PNOR - total dust through implementation of effective engineering controls to maintain employee exposures below 15 mg/m3.    Pursuant to 29 C.F.R. 1903.19, the employer must submit documents describing the steps it is taking to ensure compliance, including an explanation of how these steps protect employees from airborne concentration of PNOR - Total Dust in excess of the 8 hour Time Weighted Average concentration of 15 mg/m3 and documentation demonstrating that employee exposures to PNOR - Total Dust are below 8 hour time weighted average concentrations of 15 mg/m3.    This employer has been previously cited for this practice that includes:    Avid Pallet Services, LLC was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard, which was contained in OSHA inspection number 922672, citation number 1, item number 5a and was affirmed as a final order on May 1, 2014, with respect to a workplace located at 1401 Eddy Avenue, Beloit, WI 53551.    Avid Pallet Services, LLC was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard, which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1177229, citation number 1, item number 1b and was affirmed as a final order on January 17, 2017, with respect to a workplace located at 1401 Eddy Avenue, Beloit, WI 53511.

Issued

Mar 12, 2019

Abate by

Jun 17, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(e): Feasible administrative or engineering controls were not determined and implemented to achieve compliance with the limits prescribed in 29 CFR 1910.1000(a) through (d):  The employer does not determine and implement feasible engineering controls to reduce bandsaw operators exposure below the limit for particulates not otherwise regulated (PNOR) - total dust. This most recently occurred when two Bandsaw operators were exposed to an 8 hour time weighted average concentration of PNOR-Total Dust in excess of 15 mg/m3. To abate this violation, the employer must ensure that Bandsaw operators are protected from overexposures to PNOR - total dust through implementation of effective engineering controls to maintain employee exposures below 15 mg/m3.  Pursuant to 29 C.F.R. 1903.19, the employer must submit documents describing the steps it is taking to ensure compliance, including an explanation of how these steps protect employees from airborne concentration of PNOR - Total Dust in excess of the 8 hour Time Weighted Average concentration of 15 mg/m3 and documentation demonstrating that employee exposures to PNOR - Total Dust are below 8 hour time weighted average concentrations of 15 mg/m3.  Abatement normally will be multistep as follows:   STEP 1:  Effective respiratory protection shall continue to be provided and used by exposed employees as an interim protective measure until feasible engineering controls can be implemented or whenever such controls fail to reduce employee exposures to within permissible exposure limits.    STEP 2:  A written detailed plan of abatement shall be submitted to the Area Director  outlining a schedule for the implementation of engineering measures to control employee exposures to hazardous substances as referenced in this citation.  This plan shall include, at a minimum, target dates for the following actions which must be consistent with abatement dates required by this citation:  1. Evaluation of engineering control options; 2. Selection of optimum control methods and completion of design; 3. Procurement, installation, and operation of selected control measures; and 4. Testing and acceptance or modification/redesign of controls.  NOTE: All proposed control measures shall be approved for each particular use by a competent industrial hygienist or other technically qualified person.   STEP 3:   Abatement shall have been completed by the implementation of feasible engineering controls upon verification of their effectiveness in achieving compliance.              Date by Which Violation Must be Abated:  STEP-1 - Upon issuance.             Date by Which Violation Must be Abated:  STEP-2 - 60 days from issuance.             Date by Which Violation Must be Abated:  STEP-3 - 90 days from issuance.  This employer has been previously cited for this practice that includes:  Avid Pallet Services, LLC was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard, which was contained in OSHA inspection number 922672, citation number 1, item number 5b and was affirmed as a final order on May 1, 2014, with respect to a workplace located at 1401 Eddy Avenue, Beloit, WI 53551.  Avid Pallet Services, LLC was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard, which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1177229, citation number 1, item number 1c and was affirmed as a final order on January 17, 2017, with respect to a workplace located at 1401 Eddy Avenue, Beloit, WI 53511.

Issued

Mar 12, 2019

Abate by

Apr 2, 2019

Penalty

Initial $52,096 · Current $34,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(3)(ii): Employee training did not include the physical and health hazards of the chemicals in the work area:    The employer's training does not inform employees of the health hazards of the wood dust, including but not limited to, that it is a carcinogen.    The employer's training does not ensure that employees are trained on the health hazards of the wood dust, including that it is a carcinogen.  Employees working in the Bandsaw department at the worksite are exposed to wood dust daily.  To abate this violation, the employer must develop a training program to ensure that Bandsaw operators are informed of the health hazards of wood dust, specifically that it is a carcinogen.    Pursuant to 29 C.F.R. 1903.19, the employer must submit documents describing the steps it is taking to ensure compliance, including a copy of the training information that will be used to inform employees of the health hazards of wood dust, specifically that it is a carcinogen.    This employer has been previously cited for this practice that includes:    Avid Pallet Services, LLC was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard, which was contained in OSHA inspection number 922672, citation number 1, item number 6 and was affirmed as a final order on May 1, 2014(date), with respect to a workplace located at 1401 Eddy Avenue, Beloit, WI 53551.

Issued

Mar 12, 2019

Abate by

Apr 2, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1020(g)(1): Employees covered by 29 CFR 1910.1020 were not informed, upon entering employment and at least annually thereafter, of the existence, location, availability of any records covered by this section, of the identity of the person responsible for maintaining and providing access to records, or of each employee's right of access to these records:  The employer did not inform employees of the existence, location and availability, the identity of the person responsible for maintaining and providing access, and employees' rights to access the employee exposure records for personal air monitoring records to determine employees' exposure to particulates not otherwise regulated - total dust.