OSHA Inspection: NMN CLOSET, INC.

Issued

Mar 11, 2022

Abate by

Mar 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $10,151 · Current $6,300 Reduced

Hazardous substances E200W103

General-duty citation text

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1):The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees, exposed to fire and explosion hazards, including severe burns, due to deficient design and/or implementation of preventive and/or protective measures in its dust collection system and related equipment, such as the following:  a)   Shop: On or about September 17, 2021, Five enclosureless dust collectors located inside the building and used to collect explosive dust, Kst = 24.25 bar*meter/sec, produced during the processing of melamine laminated flakeboard. The dust collectors were operated daily.   Abatement Note: Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct the hazard is to ensure that enclosure less dust collectors which are used indoors comply with NFPA 664 (2020) Prevention of Fires and Explosions in Wood Processing and Woodworking Facilities.

Issued

Mar 11, 2022

Abate by

Apr 13, 2022

Penalty

Initial $10,151 · Current $6,300 Reduced

Hazardous substances E200W103

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.22(a)(1):(1) All places of employment, passageways, storerooms, service rooms, and walking-working surfaces are kept in a clean, orderly, and sanitary condition.  a) Shop: On or about September 17, 2021, January 26, 2022 and  February 10, 2022, the employer did not ensure housekeeping sufficient to prevent the accumulation of combustible dust at depths of greater than 1/32 of an inch on tops of ducts, joists, conduit, shelves, ledges, materials, and equipment throughout the room, which housed five(5) enclosureless Dust Collectors.

Issued

Mar 11, 2022

Abate by

Mar 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $8,702 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances E200W103

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.22(a)(2): 29 CFR 1910.22(a)(2): The employer did not ensure that the  floor of each workroom is maintained in a clean and, to the extent feasible, in a dry condition. The employer did not ensure that when wet processes are used, drainage is be maintained and, to the extent feasible, dry standing places, such as false floors, platforms, and mats are provided.   a) Shop: On or about September 17, 2021, the employer did not ensure housekeeping sufficient to prevent the accumulation of combustible dust on the floor around machines, exposing employees to fire and slip hazards.

Issued

Mar 11, 2022

Abate by

Apr 13, 2022

Penalty

Initial $10,151 · Current $6,300 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8111

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:   (a) Shop: On or about March 2, 2022, an operator of the panel saw machine worked near enclosureless dust collectors which generated noise simultaneously and was monitored for 448 minutes. The employee was exposed to continuous noise at 88.5 decibels averaged over 8-hours with zero exposure averaged for any unsampled time. The equivalent dose was 81.3% of OSHA's Permissible Exposure Limit for Noise, which is 90 decibels, and exceeds OSHA's Action Level of 85 decibels. The employer did not establish and maintain an audiometric testing program by making audiometric testing available to all employees whose exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels thus exposing the employee to permanent hearing loss.

Issued

Mar 11, 2022

Abate by

Mar 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $8,702 · Current $5,400 Reduced

Hazardous substances W103

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:   a) Shop: On or about September 17, 2021, the employer did not provide and implement a written respiratory protection program for all employees required to wear respirators. The employer required employees to wear elastomeric N95 respirators to protect against wood dust when they removed collected dust from the enclosureless dust collectors.  b) Shop: On or about March 2, 2022, the employer did not provide and implement a written respiratory protection program for all employees required to wear respirators. The employer required an employee to wear N95 filtering facepeice respirator to protect against organic vapors when the employee applied spray adhesive to flakeboard.

Issued

Mar 11, 2022

Abate by

Mar 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances W103

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 required to use the respirator in the workplace:    a) Shop: On or about September 17, 2021, and continuing thereafter, employees were required to remove collected dust from dust collectors and required to wear respirators elastomeric N95 respirators to protect against dust. The employer did not provide medical evaluations to these employees before they were required to use the respirators.  b) Shop: On or about March 2, 2022, the employer required an employee to wear N95 filtering facepeice respirator to protect against organic vapors when the employee applied spray adhesive to flakeboard. The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to the employee before he was required to use the respirator.

Issued

Mar 11, 2022

Abate by

Mar 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances W103

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(f)(2): Employees using tight-fitting facepiece respirators were not fit tested prior to initial use of the respirator:   a) Shop: On or about January 26, 2022, and continuing thereafter, the employer did not provide initial fit tests for employees who were required to wear respiratory protection.  The employer required employees to wear elastomeric N95 respirators to protect against dust when removing dust from dust collectors.  b) Shop: On or about March 2, 2022, the employer required an employee to wear N95 filtering facepeice respirator to protect against organic vapors when the employee applied spray adhesive to flakeboard. The employer did not provide an initial fit test for the employee.

Issued

Mar 11, 2022

Abate by

Mar 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances W103

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(k)(1): The employer did not provide effective training to ensure that each employee could demonstrate knowledge of 1910.134(k)(1)(i) - (vii):  a) Shop: On or about September 17, 2021, and continuing thereafter, Employees were required to wear elastomeric N95 respirators to protect against wood dust when they emptied dust collectors. The employer did not ensure the employees understood how improper fit, usage and failure to conduct seal checks could compromise the protective effect of the respiratory protection.  b) Shop: On or about March 2, 2022, the employer required an employee to wear N95 filtering facepiece respirator to protect against organic vapors when the employee applied spray adhesive to flakeboard. The employer did not ensure the employees understood how improper fit, usage and failure to conduct seal checks could compromise the protective effect of the respiratory protection.

Issued

Mar 11, 2022

Abate by

Mar 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $7,252 · Current $4,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1730

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1052(h)(1): Where needed to prevent methylene chloride induced skin or eye irritation, the employer did not provide clean protective clothing and equipment resistant to methylene chloride, at no cost to the employee, and/or did not ensure that each affected employee used it:   a) Shop: On or about February 10, 2022, an employee used Formica F-200-038, which contains 35 to 60% Methylene Chloride, to fuse the edge bands onto flakeboard panel edges as part of the closet component manufacture. The employer did not provide adequate gloves to the employee who sprayed Formica F-200-038, the employee wore latex dipped nylon gloves that were meant to protect against abrasions, but were not adequate for use with Methylene Chloride.

Issued

Mar 11, 2022

Abate by

Mar 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $7,252 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1730

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1052(i)(2): If it is reasonably foreseeable that an employee's eyes may contact solutions containing 0.1 percent or greater MC (for example through splashes, spills or improper work practices), the employer shall provide appropriate eyewash facilities within the immediate work area for emergency use, and shall ensure that affected employees use those facilities when necessary.   a) Shop: On or about February 10, 2022, an employee used Formica F-200-038, which contains 35 to 60% Methylene Chloride, to fuse the edge bands onto flakeboard panel edges as part of the closet component manufacture process. The employee sprayed the Formica F-200-038 from a pressurized 38 pound disposable container wearing eye protection. The employer did not provide an eyewash in the immediate work area. The nearest eyewash was about 55 to 65 feet away, would require the employee to negotiate around stored materials, and included the area where the powered industrial truck is often in use.

Issued

Mar 11, 2022

Abate by

Mar 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $7,252 · Current $0 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1730

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1052(l)(1): The employer shall provide information and training for each affected employee prior to or at the time of initial assignment to a job involving potential exposure to MC.   a) Shop: On or about February 10, 2022, an employee used Formica F-200-038, which contains 35 to 60% Methylene Chloride, which was sprayed to   apply edgebands to flakeboard. The employer did not provide training to the employee who spray Formica F-200-038 prior to initial assignment.

Issued

Mar 11, 2022

Abate by

Mar 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $10,151 · Current $6,300 Reduced

Hazardous substances E200W103

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(e)(1): The employer did not develop, implement, and/or maintain at the workplace a written hazard communication program which describes how the criteria specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) will be met:   a) Shop: On or about September 17, 2021, employees operated machines, cut, notch, drill holes and apply edge banding to melamine laminated flakeboard, which is composed primarily of wood, using woodworking machines which created dust. The dust is explosive dust, Kst = 24.25 bar*meter/second, and wood dust causes cancer of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses and of the nasopharynx. Employees sprayed adhesive which contained organics vapors including but not limited to methylene chloride and hexane. The employer did not develop or implement a written hazard communication program which included all chemicals present in the facility.

Issued

Mar 11, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances E200W103

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(g)(1):  The employer did not have a safety data sheet in the workplace for each hazardous chemical which they use:   a) Shop: On or about September 17, 2021, employees operated machines cut, notch, drill holes and apply edge banding to melamine laminated flakeboard, which is composed primarily of wood, using woodworking machines which created dust, but the employer did not have the safety data sheet present in the facility.

Issued

Mar 11, 2022

Abate by

Mar 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances E200W103

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(h)(1): Employees were not provided effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment and whenever a new hazard that the employees had not been previously trained about was introduced into their work area:   a) Shop: On or about September 17, 2021, employees operated machines cut, notch, drill holes and apply edge banding to melamine laminated flakeboard, which is composed primarily of wood, using woodworking machines which created dust. The dust is explosive dust, Kst = 24.25 bar*meter/second, and wood dust causes cancer of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses and of the nasopharynx,  but the employer did not provide the required Hazard Communication information to employees.

Issued

Mar 11, 2022

Abate by

Mar 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances E200W103

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(h)(3): Training. Employee training shall include at least: (i) Methods and observations that may be used to detect the presence or release of a hazardous chemical in the work area (such as monitoring conducted by the employer, continuous monitoring devices, visual appearance or odor of hazardous chemicals when being released, etc.); (ii) The physical, health, simple asphyxiation, combustible dust, and pyrophoric gas hazards, as well as hazards not otherwise classified, of the chemicals in the work area; (iii) The measures employees can take to protect themselves from these hazards, including specific procedures the employer has implemented to protect employees from exposure to hazardous chemicals, such as appropriate work practices, emergency procedures, and personal protective equipment to be used; and, (iv) The details of the hazard communication program developed by the employer, including an explanation of the labels received on shipped containers and the workplace labeling system used by their employer; the safety data sheet, including the order of information and how employees can obtain and use the appropriate hazard information.   a) Shop: On or about September 17, 2021, employees operated machines cut, notch, drill holes and apply edge banding to melamine laminated flakeboard, which is composed primarily of wood, using woodworking machines which created dust. The dust is explosive dust, Kst = 24.25 bar*meter/second, and wood dust causes cancer of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses and of the nasopharynx,  but the employer did not provide training to the employees.

Issued

Mar 11, 2022

Penalty

Initial $1,450 · Current $900 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1904.40(a): Basic requirement. When an authorized government representative asks for the records you keep under Part 1904, you must provide copies of the records within four (4) business hours.   a) Shop: On or about September 20, 2021, the compliance officer requested the OSHA 300 logs for 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 and summaries, but did not receive them until October 13, 2021.