OSHA questions.

[Crimson2v]

The higher ups are beating on the climate change drum now since the RONA crap is over. We had a meeting last week and the management said that we have too many refrigerators in the shop and they would like it if we could remove some of them. We were told that they had some VIPs walking around and they pointed out the fridges and mentioned that we are a LEED building, it's putting a strain on the building. It was not taken well by us because they are mini fridges where we keep our water and food in.
So now this week we have yet another meeting and guess what one of the topics was about? The refrigerators. This time they said it was an OSHA violation for us to have them in the shop. We have been at this shop for almost 10 years and this is the first anyone has said one word about this. I have been a tech for almost twenty years and I have always had a personal mini fridge. It's especially useful now because sometimes we have to work rotating 12hr shifts during storms, so I always bring extra food and drinks just in-case we are stuck and can't get food which has happened before.
Does anyone know if the OSHA thing is true or are they just pulling at strings here?

 

[Lambeau]

1) I would kindly ask management to cite the exact OSHA statute, standard, regulation it violates.
2) In my final ~15 years, I observed all refrigerators used, in any area, displaying either a sticker or sign on it that clearly stated it was being used by employees 'For Food Only', or 'No Food Allowed' in it.
It was obvious what the refrigerators use was by its location, but each had the stickers on them anyway.
3) I've never heard of a refrigerator violating any form of OSHA regulation in my 35 years.
4) IIRC, management at one plant made the employees buy a new fridge in the lunch room when the old one went tits up.

 

[Black02GT]

If you want to know:
https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2010-03-02-4
Reading codes is always a good time. Don’t know how to express a mass amount of sarcasm in text.

 

[Crimson2v]

1) I would kindly ask management to cite the exact OSHA statute, standard, regulation it violates.
2) In my final ~15 years, I observed all refrigerators used, in any area, displaying either a sticker or sign on it that clearly stated it was being used by employees 'For Food Only', or 'No Food Allowed' in it.
It was obvious what the refrigerators use was by its location, but each had the stickers on them anyway.
3) I've never heard of a refrigerator violating any form of OSHA regulation in my 35 years.
4) IIRC, management at one plant made the employees buy a new fridge in the lunch room when the old one went tits up.

Thank you for your suggestions, we did a little searching on google and we only found a section that stated you can't eat or prepare food in areas that have dust. We do have two full size fridge/freezers but there is no way it would hold everyone's stuff.

 

[beau t]

Not sure what you do, at the plant i work in we make plastic containers for food and because of this we have a dedicated break room and water fountains in a couple designated areas through out the plant other than that no food or drinks on the production floor. According to our management some rule plays into this as cross contamination could take place, so if you work in the food industry per say they may be lumping y'all into the same boat.
edit : Don't think it has to do with OSHA though in our case its the american bakers institute I think.

 

[Lambeau]

Thank you for your suggestions, we did a little searching on google and we only found a section that stated you can't eat or prepare food in areas that have dust. We do have two full size fridge/freezers but there is no way it would hold everyone's stuff.

Does your employer have a Safety/Environmental Engineer?
My experience with just about all of them, is that they are pretty good about helping employees.
Could you ask them for help? Maybe one from corporate?
After all, that's their job.

 

[Crimson2v]

Not sure what you do, at the plant i work in we make plastic containers for food and because of this we have a dedicated break room and water fountains in a couple designated areas through out the plant other than that no food or drinks on the production floor. According to our management some rule plays into this as cross contamination could take place, so if you work in the food industry per say they may be lumping y'all into the same boat.
edit : Don't think it has to do with OSHA though in our case its the american bakers institute I think.

I am a mechanic.

Does your employer have a Safety/Environmental Engineer?
My experience with just about all of them, is that they are pretty good about helping employees.
Could you ask them for help? Maybe one from corporate?
After all, that's their job.

We do have a "safety guy", he is the one who supposedly told management that it was an OSHA violation. The safety guy and the one prior is not about helping us, he is about doing what management tells them to do.

 

[PC03GT]

This is just the beginning of their bullshit...everything will be done in the name of climate change

 

[CompOrange04GT]

I am a mechanic.

We do have a "safety guy", he is the one who supposedly told management that it was an OSHA violation. The safety guy and the one prior is not about helping us, he is about doing what management tells them to do.

Safety guys are a joke anyway. Many of them are just people who can’t do anything else.

I had to get forklift certified recently.. safety guy saw me get on fork lift .. put on the seat belt.

He immediately said “ the fact that you did that. You’re good “

 

[Crimson2v]

Safety guys are a joke anyway. Many of them are just people who can’t do anything else.

I had to get forklift certified recently.. safety guy saw me get on fork lift .. put on the seat belt.

He immediately said “ the fact that you did that. You’re good “

I think our guy is justifying his job by doing this crap. He set up a CPR class, of which I went to so I could renew my certification and it was a joke. My previous cert was through the fire department and it was a very thorough and legit class. I am really just amazed at the things management comes up with to F with us.

 

[Lambeau]

I am a mechanic.

We do have a "safety guy", he is the one who supposedly told management that it was an OSHA violation. The safety guy and the one prior is not about helping us, he is about doing what management tells them to do.

So the questions are:
1) What OSHA statute, standard, or regulation does it violate?
2) Will the company provide refrigeration services for the safe storage of their employees food?
3) If not, what alternatives will they provide (if any)?
Fact is, they're not obligated to do anything.

Then there's... continue to drag it out, hoping that:
A) It gets reprioritized, the vips move on, and all is forgotten.
B) Employees find an area to put fridges with signs, and it gets forgotten.

 

[SGT MERC]

The only way they are in violation of any OSHA statutes is if they had frayed power cords, leaking water and causing slippery conditions, being used to place work equipment on top of or impending/blocking foot traffic.

Sent from my SM-N975U1 using the svtperformance.com mobile app

 

[Crimson2v]

So the questions are:
1) What OSHA statute, standard, or regulation does it violate?
2) Will the company provide refrigeration services for the safe storage of their employees food?
3) If not, what alternatives will they provide (if any)?
Fact is, they're not obligated to do anything.

Then there's... continue to drag it out, hoping that:
A) It gets reprioritized, the vips move on, and all is forgotten.
B) Employees find an area to put fridges with signs, and it gets forgotten.

I am hoping it will be forgotten about. The majority of us have them on our tool boxes, so they are not a tripping hazard or slip hazard. I may get some of those food only stickers and slap them on the fridges.

 

[gfcobra04]

Do y’all have a lunch room?
If no lunch room then you consume food and beverages around your refrigerators, I assume. If you’re allowed to consume food and beverages around your refrigerator then you can keep your refrigerator there because obviously there are no toxic materials there.

In post #3 OSHA states, food may not be stored or consumed in bathrooms or in locations with toxic materials. So if they’re saying you can’t have a fridge there because it’s exposed to toxic materials they have to build you a lunch room so that you can eat your food out of the way of the toxic materials.

 

[Black02GT]

The only way they are in violation of any OSHA statutes is if they had frayed power cords, leaking water and causing slippery conditions, being used to place work equipment on top of or impending/blocking foot traffic.

Sent from my SM-N975U1 using the svtperformance.com mobile app

That would follow logic. See post 3. It's a cover your ass play to put on paper. Insulating the company.

 

[Crimson2v]

Do y’all have a lunch room?
If no lunch room then you consume food and beverages around your refrigerators, I assume. If you’re allowed to consume food and beverages around your refrigerator then you can keep your refrigerator there because obviously there are no toxic materials there.

In post #3 OSHA states, food may not be stored or consumed in bathrooms or in locations with toxic materials. So if they’re saying you can’t have a fridge there because it’s exposed to toxic materials they have to build you a lunch room so that you can eat your food out of the way of the toxic materials.

We do have a lunch room. I just use my fridge for storage of my food until it’s lunch time. I also store my water there too.

 

[bluebosss197]

Paint the fridge door as if it were another set of toolbox drawers.

 

[Double"O"]

OSHA are a bunch of ball washin bastards...

 

[Crimson2v]

Paint the fridge door as if it were another set of toolbox drawers.

That’s a great idea, hahaha. I’ll have to get a Matco sticker for it too.

 

[blackfang]

I figured you work in a shop. When our KPA people come by they do not like our technicians with small refrigerators in the shop for the same reason. We have a lunchroom with a refrigerator. Out of site, out of mind works.