OSHA Inspection: PLASTIPAK PACKAGING, INC.

Issued

Jan 3, 2019

Abate by

Feb 21, 2019

Penalty

Initial $9,239 · Current $5,543 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8111

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(g)(1): The employer shall establish and maintain an audiometric testing program as provided in this paragraph by making audiometric testing available to all employees whose exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels:    An audiometric testing program was not established for temporary employees working at the Plastipak Packaging facility.    (a) In the grinding room, a grinder operator was exposed to noise levels at 188.4% of the permissible 8-hour TWA (90 dBA).  The equivalent dBA level of 188.4% is approximately 94.5 dBA.  Sampling was performed for 406 minutes during one shift.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of 74 minutes.

Issued

Jan 3, 2019

Abate by

Feb 21, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 8111

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:    The employer had not obtained audiograms for employees since December 2016.    (a) In the grinding room, a supervisor was exposed to noise levels at 72.10% of the permissible 8-hour TWA (90 dBA).  The equivalent dBA level of 72.10% is approximately 87.6 dBA.  Sampling was performed for 448 minutes during one shift.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of 32 minutes.    (b) In the grinding room, a technician was exposed to noise levels at 111.3% of the permissible 8-hour TWA (90 dBA).  The equivalent dBA level of 111.3% is approximately 90.7 dBA.  Sampling was performed for 466 minutes during one shift.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of 14 minutes.     (c) In the grinding room, a grinder operator/forklift operator was exposed to noise levels at 91.88% of the permissible 8-hour TWA (90 dBA).  The equivalent dBA level of 91.88% is approximately 89.3 dBA.  Sampling was performed for 319 minutes during one shift.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of 161 minutes.       (d) In the grinding room, a grinder operator was exposed to noise levels at 317.5% of the permissible 8-hour TWA (90 dBA).  The equivalent dBA level of 317.5% is approximately 98.3 dBA.  Sampling was performed for 467 minutes during one shift.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of 13 minutes.