OSHA Inspection: QUALITY SNACK FOODS, INC.

Issued

Apr 6, 2022

Abate by

Jul 22, 2022

Penalty

Initial $9,324 · Current $5,500 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:  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 Quality Snack Foods, Inc.  a)  An employee in the Frying Room monitoring fryer lines #4-#6 was exposed to continuous noise levels at 106.7% of the allowable 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (90 dBA).  The equivalent dBA level of 106.7% is approximately 90.5 dBA. The sampling was performed for 448 minutes during one 8-hour work shift on January 28, 2022.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of time, 32 minutes.  The hearing conservation action level was established to prevent permanent loss of hearing.  b) An employee in the Cutting Room feeding pork skins into a dicer was exposed to continuous noise levels at 109.6% of the allowable 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (90 dBA).  The equivalent dBA level of 109.6% is approximately 90.7 dBA. The sampling was performed for 450 minutes during one 8-hour work shift on January 28, 2022.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of time, 30 minutes.  The hearing conservation action level was established to prevent permanent loss of hearing.  c) An employee in the Cutting Room feeding pork skins to the conveyor was exposed to continuous noise levels at 118.8% of the allowable 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (90 dBA).  The equivalent dBA level of 118.8% is approximately 91.2 dBA. The sampling was performed for 446 minutes during one 8-hour work shift on January 28, 2022.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of time, 34 minutes.  The hearing conservation action level was established to prevent permanent loss of hearing.  d) An employee in the Sorting Room sorting and packing rendered products was exposed to continuous noise levels at 104.0% of the allowable 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (90 dBA).  The equivalent dBA level of 104.0% is approximately 90.3 dBA. The sampling was performed for 434 minutes during one 8-hour work shift on January 28, 2022.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of time, 46 minutes.  The hearing conservation action level was established to prevent permanent loss of hearing.  e) An employee in the Sorting Room sorting and packing rendered products was exposed to continuous noise levels at 104.1% of the allowable 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (90 dBA).  The equivalent dBA level of 104.0% is approximately 90.3 dBA. The sampling was performed for 437 minutes during one 8-hour work shift on January 28, 2022.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled period of time, 43 minutes.  The hearing conservation action level was established to prevent permanent loss of hearing.

Issued

Apr 6, 2022

Abate by

May 23, 2022

Penalty

Initial $13,052 · Current $7,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0560

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1000(a)(2): An employee was exposed to an airborne concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) listed in Table Z-1 in excess of the 8-hour Time Weighted Average (TWA) concentration of 50 parts per million (ppm):   a) Frying Room - On or about November 29, 2021, the employer did not ensure that an employee(s) exposed to carbon monoxide did not exceed 50 ppm for an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA).  An employee pushing bacon was exposed to carbon monoxide at an 8-hour TWA of 119.2 ppm, 2.38 times the permissible exposure limit of 50 ppm. The carbon monoxide level was derived from blood carboxyhemoglobin levels.

Issued

Apr 6, 2022

Abate by

Jul 22, 2022

Penalty

Initial $7,458 · Current $3,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0530

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) Cooling Room - On or about November 29, 2021, the employer did not develop and implement a hazard communication program in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1) that would describe or include at least the following: 1) Requirement for labeling of containers of hazardous chemicals; 2) Safety data sheet availability; 3) Training of employees; 4) A complete list of hazardous chemicals known to be present in the workplace; 5) Methods to inform employees of the hazards on non-routine tasks; and 6) Methods to inform other employer(s) of material safety data sheet availability; the labeling system and any precautionary measures to protect employees. Affected employees were exposed to hazardous chemicals such as, but not limited to, Air Products Carbon dioxide (Refrigerated).

Issued

Apr 6, 2022

Abate by

Apr 14, 2022

Penalty

Initial $1,865 · Current $1,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 0560

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1904.29(b)(3): The employer did not enter each recordable injury or illness on the OSHA 300 Log within seven (7) calendar days of receiving information that a recordable injury or illness had occurred:  a) On or about December 12, 2021 the employer failed to enter injury or illness information on the 2021 OSHA 300 Log for all employees whom had a recordable injury or illness on November 29, 2021.

Issued

Apr 6, 2022

Abate by

Apr 14, 2022

Penalty

Initial $1,865 · Current $1,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1904.32(b)(3): The Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses (OSHA Form 300A or equivalent) was not properly certified:  a) On or about February 1, 2022, at the above located workplace, the employer's OSHA 300A summary for 2021 was not properly certified by a company executive.