OSHA Inspection: FAIRRINGTON, LLC

Issued

Jun 24, 2019

Abate by

Jul 19, 2019

Penalty

Initial $13,260 · Current $9,282 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8111

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 1910.95(c) through (n) whenever employee noise exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level of 85 decibels or the adjusted TWA sound level in dBA for an extended work shift:  An effective hearing conservation program which included noise monitoring, audiometric testing of employees and training of employees as detailed in the standard was not instituted by Fairrington, LLC.  Note: The 8-hour TWA sound level of 85 dBA that triggers the requirement for a hearing conservation program (HCP) can be adjusted for work shifts less than or greater than 8 hours. When making the adjustment, the following formula is used: AL = 90 + 16.61 log [50/12.5 (hours)].  Affected employees were exposed to continuous noise levels over a 12-hour work shift.  Therefore, the TWA sound level that triggers the requirement for a HCP is adjusted or reduced for the affected employees to 82.1 dBA.  a)  An employee in the Co-mail Department operating the mail addressing equipment associated with Line 3 was exposed to continuous noise levels at 75.7% of the allowable 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (90 dBA).  The equivalent dBA level of 75.7% is approximately 88.0 dBA. The sampling was performed for 474 minutes during one 12-hour work shift on March 13, 2019.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of time, 6 minutes.  The hearing conservation action level was established to prevent permanent loss of hearing.