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OSHA auto body and paint data reveals accused dent chain not alone in some citable hazards

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Workplace safety standards allegedly violated by a Pennsylvania Dent Wizard were among the most commonly breached concepts by the auto body industry in 2014-15, OSHA data shows.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration statistics indicate that the broader auto body and paint industry received a combined 653 citations following 124 inspections between October 2014 to September 2015. For that, it was fined a total of $431,619.

The data encompasses all businesses classified by the feds as ” all businesses classified under NAICS code 811121 as “Automotive Body, Paint, and Interior Repair and Maintenance.” Statistics include the number of citations, inspections, and penalty dollars registered under general federal standards, such as those related to finishing using flammable materials.

Standard Citations Inspections Penalty Description
Total 653 124 $431,619 All Standards cited for Automotive Body, Paint, and Interior Repair and Maintenance
19100134 250 92 $78,156 Respiratory Protection.
19101200 146 74 $50,173 Hazard Communication.
19100107 51 26 $62,817 Spray finishing using flammable and combustible materials.
19100132 22 19 $12,405 General requirements.
19100305 21 14 $22,841 Wiring methods, components, and equipment for general use.
19100106 15 13 $17,980 Flammable and combustible liquids.
19100157 13 10 $8,654 Portable fire extinguishers.
19100303 12 7 $12,910 General requirements.
19100133 10 10 $8,371 Eye and face protection.
19100253 9 8 $13,405 Oxygen-fuel gas welding and cutting.
19101001 9 1 $3,400 Asbestos.
19100242 8 8 $14,674 Hand and portable powered tools and equipment, general.
19100022 7 7 $5,282 General requirements.
19100151 6 6 $3,450 Medical services and first aid.
19100215 6 3 $7,660 Abrasive wheel machinery.
19100304 6 5 $5,835 Wiring design and protection.
19101052 6 3 $2,074 Methylene Chloride.
5A0001 6 5 $15,468 OSH Act General Duty Paragraph
19100037 5 2 $4,520 Maintenance, safeguards, and operational features for exit routes.
19100138 5 5 $2,940 Hand Protection.
19100141 5 5 $960 Sanitation.
19100023 4 3 $40,540 Guarding floor and wall openings and holes.
19101020 4 1 $0 Access to employee exposure and medical records.
19100095 3 1 $1,470 Occupational noise exposure.
19100244 3 1 $12,600 Other portable tools and equipment.
19040032 2 2 $700 Annual summary.
19100178 2 2 $1,275 Powered industrial trucks.
19100212 2 2 $3,430 General requirements for all machines.
19100219 2 1 $3,430 Mechanical power-transmission apparatus.
19100334 2 2 $2,600 Use of equipment.
19101000 2 1 $2,450 Air contaminants.
19040001 1 1 $0 Partial exemption for employers with 10 or fewer employees.
19040039 1 1 $700 — No Description Found —
19040040 1 1 $0 — No Description Found —
19100036 1 1 $1,960 Design and construction requirements for exit routes.
19100038 1 1 $0 Emergency action plans.
19100101 1 1 $0 Compressed gases (general requirements).
19100176 1 1 $3,060 Handling materials – general.
19100243 1 1 $3,430 Guarding of portable powered tools.
19100254 1 1 $0 Arc welding and cutting.

OSHA on June 1 told Dent Wizard it planned to levy $51,000 in fines after allegedly discovering 31 serious and nine minor violations at a Manheim, Pa., location.

Many of the alleged “serious” violations at the branch involved paint operations, including fire hazards, while others involved employee protective gear or the employer’s handling of it.

“Dent Wizard is committed to the safety and well-being of our employees,” Dent Wizard said in a statement provided to the Lancaster County Business Journal. “We have cooperated fully and have taken, or are taking, the necessary actions to correct any and all perceived deficiencies.”

The Manheim Dent Wizard allegedly racked up the most violations under the “Spray finishing using flammable and combustible materials” standard, which was the third most frequently cited standard for the auto body and paint industry.

The industry received 51 citations in 26 inspections for a combined $62,817 penalty.

Next for the Dent Wizard came alleged violations under “Respiratory Protection,” the most commonly cited standard in the industry. Auto body and paint operations earned 250 citations in 92 inspections and owed $78,156 in penalties during the fall 2014 to fall 2015 period.

Dent Wizard saw just two citations from OSHA under the “Hazard Communication” category, but its peers made that the second most often violated standard, posting 146 citations in 74 inspections. Altogether, $50,173 in fines were levied.

The data and Dent Wizard example indicate areas to which collision repair shops and similar workplaces might wish to pay particular attention to avoid nasty surprises from inspectors — or worse, an injured employee.

Double-checking with local regulators or consulting with various compliance or industry experts to ensure employees truly have the right safeguards in place might not be a bad idea.

Other OSHA records seem to indicate the agency conducted 363 total inspections over the year. As noted earlier, 124 inspections produced citations, which means about 34.2 percent were out of compliance.

However, it appears that a shop failing on one part of an inspection probably failed another part of it. Given the 653 citations found in 124 inspections, citeable shops averaged 5.27 violations.

Of course, some violations are what OSHA considers “other-than-serious” which in the Dent Wizard allegations weren’t paired with a proposed fine. (One, for example, involved an allegation that a port-a-potty lacked proper hand drying equipment.)

Details/help/reporting/complaints: 800-321-OSHA (6742).

More information:

“OSHA: AUTO RECONDITIONING COMPANY FAILED TO PROTECT WORKERS FROM TOXIC COMPOUNDS, OTHER SAFETY AND HEALTH HAZARDS AT MANHEIM FACILITY”

Occupational Safety and Health Administration, June 7, 2016

OSHA Dent Wizard citation 1

OSHA, June 1, 2016

OSHA Dent Wizard citation 2

OSHA, June 1, 2016

“NAICS Code: 811121 Automotive Body, Paint, and Interior Repair and Maintenance”

Occupational Safety and Health Administration statistics, October 2014-September 2015

Industry inspection data

OSHA statistics, October 2014-September 2015

Featured image: It’s easy to be safe in a workplace whose business is just these four tires. (Franck-Boston/iStock)

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