Posted on 06/16/2012 11:25:57 AM PDT by kiryandil
US Department of Labor's OSHA cites Illinois Gun Works for
exposing workers to lead, other hazards at Elmwood Park, Ill., plant
ELMWOOD PARK, Ill. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Illinois Gun Works Ltd. for 28 alleged health violations following a Jan. 21 inspection referred by the Illinois Department of Public Health that found two gun range operators were exposed to airborne lead levels up to 12 times the permissible level. Proposed fines total $111,000.
"Illinois Gun Works has a responsibility to protect the health of its employees by ensuring that they operate in a manner which eliminates or minimizes lead hazards, including exposure," said Diane Turek, director of OSHA's Chicago North Area Office in Des Plaines. "OSHA is committed to protecting employees' safety and health."
A total of 27 serious violations include 13 for violating the lead standard, including failing to implement engineering and work practice controls to reduce exposure, collect full shift personal samples for monitoring, measure effectiveness of the ventilation system to control exposure, provide clean protective clothing, dispose of or replace protective clothing, provide clean changing rooms or separate storage facilities for protective work clothing to prevent cross-contamination with street clothes, require workers exposed to lead to shower at the end of a shift or to ensure workers washed hands and faces prior to consuming food during breaks, and implement a medical surveillance program for all employees who were exposed to lead at or above the action levels, including biological monitoring such as blood sampling.
The remaining serious violations include failing to implement a hazard communication program, train workers on hazardous chemicals present in the work environment, label chemical bottles with contents and a hazard warning, administer an effective hearing conservation program, train in the use of personal protective equipment and implement a respirator protection program that includes, fit testing and training. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
One other-than-serious violation has been cited for failing to provide a written certification that a hazard assessment had been performed. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.
The citations may be viewed at http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/IllinoisGunWorksLtd_110282_0608_12.pdf*.
Illinois Gun Works operates a gun sales business, a shooting range and gun safety training. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Chicago North office at 847-803-4800.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.
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U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The information above is available in large print, Braille, audio tape or disc from the COAST office upon request by calling 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755.
* Accessibility Assistance Contact OSHA's Office of Communications at 202-693-1999 for assistance accessing PDF materials.
This is probably a payback/shakedown by the various corrupt .gov thug departments. I'd bet conspiracy between agencies, also.
If you see a .gov enforcer coming your way, walk, don't run to the nearest place where he/she/it can't drive his/her/its armored paramilitary assault vehicle in pursuit.
OSHA is on my congressman’s hit list and I couldn’t be prouder.
Heartbeaking tale of woe.
http://www.durabilityanddesign.com/news/?fuseaction=view&id=5185
“We are working on gun control under the radar.” —Barack O’Blame-Oh Kardashian.
Even further, ANY federal government worker who approaches a private business and demands access to same, should be stopped and forced to obtain a court order/warrant to enter the premises. Deny Authority, deny access, and deny entry without local judicial approval.
They should have kicked in lots of money to the 0bama fund.
It is the Chicagoland way.
OSHA needs to be exposed to some lead. This is one of the most retarded government programs out there.
Boy, am I going to take some flak for this.
I am an engineer and I have run safety programs for several of the companies that I worked for. When I got into senior management (General Manager and President) I usually ended up training safety to those working for me because of my background. Right now I am teaching at a community college and this summer I am teaching workplace safety.
I agree with a lot of what OSHA nailed them for. Working around lead, you should be testing the air in the range and store at least yearly. Then the guys working in/around the range should have received a baseline blood test for lead and a followup annually. These tests protect the employee and the company. Without previous tests, OSHA will always assume that the exposure is over the limits.
The company should immediately have the air tested in the range and in the store and in several places. All employees should be tested for lead levels in their blood. Then clothes that are worn all day by someone running the range should be tested. Finally, with the information from these tests, an plan should be drawn up to address in problems (If there are any.)
Illinois Gun Works did a lot of damage to themselves by not having a lot of this testing already in place. Anyone running an indoor range should talk to a safety expert and either verify that they have no problem or start working on a plan to eliminate any problem that they find.
OSHA is like the cop that stops you out on the road, and as he approaches your door, pulls out his club and smashes your taillight lens. Then he tells you you have a broken taillight, and cites you for it.
Everybody is guilty until proven innocent.
Corollary - don’t argue with guys with a badge and carrying sidearms.
OSHA has to be carrying a firearm to start with....if they aren’t, then they don’t have the force of harm.
On a side note, my BIL has a farm and one bid damn backhoe that can dig a hole nearly 3 feet wide 10 feet long and about 15 feet deep in one swoop..
I have never been to a gun range that does any of this. Have you?
After working around and with hazardous materials for over 40 years we did everything we could to protect customers and employees.
However, there is an old saying among small employers:
If OSHA wants wants to write you up and fine you, they will.
That must be a mighty deep bucket to hold nearly 17 compacted cubic yards in one bite.
An some sanctimonious, know-it-all "conservative" has to weigh in about how sensible it is.
Ever start your own business? Ever sign payroll checks, or just cash them? Ever cover payroll checks with your CC?
Just wondering. People in this country seem to think successful, growing, profit-making, tax-paying business sprout out the ground like weeds, and no matter how many time you rip the leaves off, pluck off the flowers, they'll just keep coming back.
I have also worked in the Safety field. Illinios Gun Works should have CYA’d and protected it’s workers. Even so, I found OSHA to be a purely punitive organization who tend to do more damage than good with their excessive fines, especially where a small business is involved.
Most gets pushed out the sides as it cuts the semi circle. It isn’t what one would call a backhoe per se on a tractor Large earth digger on tracks.
Move next door to Indiana or some other place. Where in the manufacture of guns is lead involved? Have they looked at ammunition factories that actually use lead in their products? Looks like a hit piece on that factory. Winchester closed their plant in MA and now are manufacturing in Belgium for one.
And if every indoor shooting range has to do what they're accused of not doing, their won't be a single one turning a profit in this country.
I wonder how much we could get from the ChiComms for Illinois. As long as they fenced it in and didn’t allow any detritus to ooze out and pollute America, I don’t believe I’d have a problem with MaoWow Illinois as a new province under the control of their beloved commie masters. Of course there should be a 30 day window where Illinois FReepers are allowed to escape before the gate comes crashing down.
They need to move to Wisconsin. Under Governor Scott Walker, were open for business.
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