OSHA Inspection: TRENTON HOME FOODS

Issued

1999-09-15 00:00:00

Abate by

1999-11-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3500.00 · Current $2450.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  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:
Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  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 levels of heat stress during the performance of
their duties working
in the warehouse labeling area.  a) The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT)
index in the
labeling area and depalletizer for the tray pack line, without the gallon
line operating, on
07/30/99 ranged from 86.7 to 88.2 degrees Fahrenheit during the two hour
sampling period.
Such exposure(s) led to the development of heat exhaustion and
hospitalization
of eight
employees, six of which were in the labeling area of the warehouse.
Additionally, such
exposure(s) may lead to the development of serious heat induced
illness(es), such as heat stroke,
heat cramps, heat syncope, heat rash and transient heat fatigue.  b) The
estimated metabolic
workload for employees on the tray pack line put them in a "moderate"
workload category as
correlated with the guidelines established by ACGIH and NIOSH.  The
employees on the tray
pack line are responsible for maintaining the tray pack line, and the
palletizer, check equipment
and setup, inspect labels, trays, cans and codes, operates controls for
label machine, packer and
palletizer, check finished product, add glue to the label machine and tray
packer, make minor
equipment adjustments and operate controls for the conveyor to and from
equipment.  The shrink
wrap ovens operate at approximately 350 degrees Fahrenheit and are not
vented.  Required
uniforms include a hair net, white short sleeve shirts and navy blue pants
made of 65polyester
and 35cotton and long sleeve coveralls in the absence of such uniforms.
Scheduled breaks
include 15 minutes/2 hours of work with an hour break for dinner.
Employees are permitted
each hour to take a 5 minute water break, however, the line is a
continuous process and the
breaks are contingent on the availability of a supervisor to replace each
employee on their line.
Means of feasible abatement include, but may not be limited to: 1)
Establishment of provisions
for a work/rest regimen so that exposure time to high temperatures is
decreased and/or the work
rate is decreased. 2) Development of a formal heat stress program which
incorporates; a)
training program for informing employees about the effects of heat stress,
symptoms of heat
induced illnesses, and the prevention of heat induced illnesses, b) use of
heat stress instruments
to monitor the work environment, c) acclimation program for new employees
and employees
returning to work from periods of absence of three or more days, or when
environmental
conditions induce changes in the workplace conditions, d) screening
program to identify health
conditions aggravated by elevated temperatures, e) provisions for
providing cool drinking water
and/or electrolytes, f)provisions to provide rest areas with cooler
temperatures, or cool spot
throughout the work areas; and g) venting the heat producing equipment,
such as the shrink wrap
ovens.