KPA Blog

Sometimes, good businesses make bad decisions. Small businesses are especially vulnerable to bad decisions in using substandard safety processes and systems. During a recent OSHA visit, an auto parts store in Urbana, Illinois learned the value of investing in safe operating conditions the hard way. Bill Smith Auto Parts, Inc. was fined $49,000 for a combination of 14 safety and 6 health violations.

On the list of violations are the usual suspects from OSHA’s top 10, and are things to watch for at any automotive parts or resale facility. Here is the list of citations from Bill Smith Auto Parts, Inc, along with recommendations for improvement.*

For this blog, the violations are discussed in two editions: training and physical hazards in the work environment.

Training

In order to remain compliant with OSHA regulations and reduce losses at the facility, all regulatory programs should be in place and

implemented including:

• Hazard Communication & Emergency Response Program

• PPE Program & Hazard Assessment

• Ergonomics Prevention (if applicable)

• Powered Industrial Trucks (if applicable)

• Respiratory Protection Program (if applicable)

• Heat Illness Prevention Program (if applicable)

Violation image	Violation description
	No Documentation of Respirator Safety Program  In order to comply with OSHA regulations for Respiratory Protection, every facility that requires employees to wear respirators should have at a minimum annual training and fit testing records, medical records, and respirator maintenance records for the past five years.
	No Documentation of Hazardous Communications Program  In order to comply with OSHA’s Hazard Communication requirements, every facility that stores or uses chemicals on site should at least have a written program, MSDS data sheets, labeling on all containers, annual and new hire training. This program needs to be accessible (most facilities post a MSDS access poster) and updated annually.   … and Lack of Hazardous Materials Training Training should be completed for all employees involved in the transportation of hazardous materials every 3 years.
	No Access to Material Data Safety Sheets  MSDS sheets need to be available within 5 minutes and contain records for all chemical compounds on site.

Read the conclusion to this post at:

http://blog.kpaonline.com/2011/05/osha-fines-auto-dealer-49000-1/

Tags: OSHA, OSHA's Top 10 Most Cited Violations, Required training, violations

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 17th, 2011 at 5:42 PM and is filed under Citations, OSHA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Please feel free to leave a comment, no registration required.