OSHA Inspection: BLUE BIRD LLC

Issued

2025-01-02 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-05-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $11292.00 · Current $4000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(c):Permissible exposure limit (PEL). The employer shall ensure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration of respirable crystalline silica in excess of 50 mcg/m^3, calculated as an 8-hour TWA.  a) On or about August 20, 2024, an employee performing laborer activities (cleaning up waste stone, etc.) was exposed to an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) airborne respirable crystalline silica concentration of 93.07ug/m3. The exposure was established from a sample collected over 128 minutes.  Zero exposure was assumed for a time period of 352 minutes.

Issued

2025-01-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(d)(1):Exposure assessment-(1) General. The employer shall assess the exposure of each employee who is or may reasonably be expected to be exposed to respirable crystalline silica at or above the action level in accordance with either the performance option in paragraph (d)(2) or the scheduled monitoring option in paragraph (d)(3) of this section.  a) On or about August 20, 2024, the employer did not assess employees' exposure levels to respirable crystalline silica while operating and working around the rip saw and joint saw when cutting limestone.

Issued

2025-01-02 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-05-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(f)(1):Methods of compliance-(1) Engineering and work practice controls. The employer shall use engineering and work practice controls to reduce and maintain employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica to or below the PEL, unless the employer can demonstrate that such controls are not feasible. Wherever such feasible engineering and work practice controls are not sufficient to reduce employee exposure to or below the PEL, the employer shall nonetheless use them to reduce employee exposure to the lowest feasible level and shall supplement them with the use of respiratory protection that complies with the requirements of paragraph (g) of this section.  a) On or about August 20, 2024, the employer did not ensure existing dust control measures protected employees working with and around the rip and joint saws from the hazards of respirable crystalline silica dust in that employees were exposed to respirable crystalline silica (respiratory irritation, silicosis) levels of 93.07ug/m3 as an 8-hour time weighted average.

Issued

2024-11-22 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-12-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $8067.00 · Current $2000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.212(a)(1):Types of guarding. One or more methods of machine guarding shall be provided to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as those created by point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks. Examples of guarding methods are-barrier guards, two-hand tripping devices, electronic safety devices, etc.  a) On or about August 20, 2024, the employer did not ensure that employees were protected from hazards created by the Sawing Systems, Inc., Rip Saw in that in that there was no guarding system in place to prevent an employee from approaching the saw while in operation, exposing employees to laceration and amputation hazards.  b) On or about August 20, 2024, the employer did not ensure that employees were protected from hazards created by the Joint Saw in that in that there was no guarding system in place to prevent an employee from approaching the saw while in operation, exposing employees to laceration and amputation hazards.