State Reports Valley College Print Shop Unsafe : Hazards: Cal/OSHA inspection results in 11 citations claiming faulty ventilation, excess noise and other problems. The district plans to appeal.

Valley College in Van Nuys has been cited by state job-safety officials for unsafe working conditions in its print shop, where inspectors said a number of hazardous chemicals are used.

Cal/OSHA issued 11 citations after inspecting the shop, where six people work, including students. The alleged offenses are considered infractions and carry no fines.

William B. Green, occupational health specialist for the Los Angeles Community College District, said Valley College is appealing the state action.

“We don’t feel they were valid citations,” he said, adding that he considered them “a minor matter.” He declined to answer additional questions.

The college was cited for faulty ventilation, failing to monitor noise levels and not having a written program to train employees in on-the-job hazards in the print shop, where exams and other materials are produced.

Cal/OSHA also faulted the college for not periodically inspecting the shop for unsafe conditions, not having a written fire prevention plan and not having an eye-washing fountain for workers who might be splashed with dangerous chemicals.

According to a report by Haifa Hughes, Cal/OSHA industrial hygienist, the shop was inspected after a worker complained of poor ventilation and the lack of a written plan to train workers to handle hazardous materials.

The shop uses at least one cancer-causing agent, along with several other hazardous chemicals, including poisonous ethylene glycol and potassium ferrocyanide, Hughes said.

The job-safety official said employees might also have been exposed to noise levels of higher than 85 decibels over an eight-hour period, especially when more than one press was running.

Hughes said the shop’s ventilation system did not have a fresh-air intake, and employees had to rely on an open door for ventilation.