Violation Detail
Standard Cited: 5A0001 OSH Act General Duty Paragraph
Inspection Nr: 928086.015
Citation: 01001
Citation Type: Serious
Abatement Date: 12/22/2014 2
Initial Penalty: $7,000.00
Current Penalty: $5,820.00
Issuance Date: 01/24/2014
Nr Instances: 1
Nr Exposed: 3
Related Event Code (REC): A;R
Gravity: 10
Report ID: 0214500
Contest Date:
Final Order: 02/07/2014
Emphasis:
| Type | Latest Event | Event Date | Penalty | Abatement Due Date | Citation Type | Failure to Abate Inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penalty | P: Petition to Mod Abatement | $5,820.00 | 12/22/2014 | Serious | ||
| Penalty | I: Informal Settlement | 02/07/2014 | $5,820.00 | 03/05/2014 | Serious | |
| Penalty | Z: Issued | 01/24/2014 | $7,000.00 | 02/05/2014 | Serious |
Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard:
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 in that employees were exposed to excessive heat. a) Bulhanjeungmok Sauna: Employees set up and maintain the daily operation of the sauna. In an operation that takes several hours they stack wood, stoke the fire from inside the sauna and the workroom, clean the ashes, clean the sauna, lay down mats, stock and unstock shelves with cartons of eggs. Temperatures in the sauna throughout this process can reach in the 400 degree F range, peaking at times to 700 degrees F. The sauna eventually cools down to approximately 150 degree F. July 26, 2013 ann employee who was performing set up operations in the bulhanjeungmok sauna was found unresponsive in the sauna. b) Various saunas throughout: Employees perform maintenance and clean-up activities in the various saunas throughout the facilities. Temperatures in the saunas are maintained at approximately 140 degrees F. Employees were not provided training to understand the signs and symptoms of heat related illnesses, medications and conditions that may increase the risk of heat related illnesses and ways to prevent or minimize heat related illnesses. A scheduled work rest regimen was not followed. Sufficient engineering, administrative and work practice controls were not implemented, on or about July 26, 2013. Feasible and acceptable methods to abate this hazard include, but are not limited to: a) For the Bulhanjeungmok sauna: 1. Implement a work rest regimen in accordance with the current American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists guidelines. 2. Provide adequate amounts of cool potable water and electrolyte replacements (specific recommendations should be made by medical consultation) in the work area and require employees to drink frequently. 3. Train employees about the effects of heat-related illness, how to report and recognize heat-related illness symptoms and how to prevent heat-related illnesses. 4. Workers should be made aware of the medications such as antihypertensives, antihistamines, diuretics that can increase the risk of heat stress. They should also be advised that conditions, such as pregnancy, fever, gastrointestinal illness, heart disease, and obesity, may increase the risk of heat related illness. 5. Provide pre-placement and annual physical exams to all employees who work inside the bulhanjeungmok sauna. Please note: the employer is not entitled to know whether workers have health related conditions, but only whether workers have any conditions that limits their ability to perform their job duties. 6. Physiological, visual and verbal monitoring of employees should be done to check for signs of heat-related illness. Encourage employees to report symptoms of health related disorders to a supervisor. 7.Provide specific procedures to be followed for heat-related emergency situations and procedures for first aid to be administered immediately to employees displaying symptoms of heat related illness. 8. Include a heat acclimatization program for new employees or employees returning to work from absences of three or more days. 9. Establish an employee rotation schedule for employees to prevent prolonged exposure to heat. 10. Limit the duration of time any employee is engaged in the stacking wood. This may be accomplished by having more than one work team to complete the job or increase the work rest cycle. 11. Keep door to the workroom closed at all times. Observation of the fire should be done remotely either through a window or with a closed circuit TV camera. 12. Limit exposure to heat in the workroom. This can be done by such methods as installing air conditioning throughout, installing an air conditioned booth in the workroom or or by installing closed circuit cameras inside the sauna for remote observation of the fire away from the workroom. 13. Evaluate, maintain and operate the ventilation system per the Architect instructions and design to ensure that acceptable levels of contaminants are maintained for safe entry. 14. Environmental heat measurements should be taken for each area and for each level of environmental heat to which employees are exposed. Employee exposure levels should be monitored using instruments that calculate the wet bulb globe temperature. 15. Install a thermometer in the bulhanjeungmok sauna that can be read remotely prior to entering the sauna. 16. Reduce the physical demands of work and duration of exposure during the egg stocking task. This can be accomplished by implementing administrative controls such as stacking the eggs on portable rolling shelving units in the workroom and then moving the shelving into the bulhanjeungmok sauna and/or lowering the height of existing shelving to reduce the workload. 17. Maintain continuous visual contact with employees in the bulhanjeungmok sauna. This can be done by implementing a buddy system for employees who enter the bulhanjeungmok sauna or by installing closed circuit TV cameras which are monitored remotely so that employees can be observed at all times while inside the sauna. 18. Provide and require the use of personal protective equipment such as cooling vests and/or aluminized clothing. For all other saunas where the temperature is maintained at 140 degrees F. 1. Implement a work rest regimen in accordance with the current American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists guidelines. 2. Provide adequate amounts of cool potable water and electrolyte replacements (specific recommendations should be made by medical consultation) in the work area and require employees to drink frequently. 3.Train employees about the effects of heat-related illness, how to report and recognize heat-related illness symptoms and how to prevent heat-related illnesses.
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