OSHA Inspection: GENERAL INDICATOR CORPORATION

Issued

Oct 8, 1987

Abate by

Oct 11, 1987

Penalty

Initial $720 · Current $600 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
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employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which
free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause
or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were
Amputation or crushing injuries from accidental or inadvertent
activation of press brakes while performing die setting or other
operation in or near the die opening when the equipment was not
disconnected or isolated from all energy sources.
Abatement methods:
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct the hazards is to establish administrative controls and
procedures over the work being performed which will instruct workers in
the recognized of these hazards:  ensure safe shutdown of machinery and
equipment by blocking, stopping, and otherwise reducing to a zero
mechanical state, and enforce a comprehensive written procedure for
lock-out which includes the following provisions:
1) Require lock-out before any maintenance, inspection, clearing,
adjusting or servicing that requires employees to enter or be in
close contact with moving machinery or equipment.
2) Require that each exposed employee look out the energy isolating
device with his/her personal lock.
3) Maintain available operation and maintenance manuals on all machinery
or equipment to be serviced. Assure that those manuals and other
appropriate information are provided to employees before work is
begun.
4) Establishing and use a documented work order system for machinery
maintenance and repairs which includes Supervisors' approval to
reactivate machinery or equipment after servicing.
5) Disconnect or isolate machinery or equipment by positioning the
switch, valve or other energy isolating device so that energy sources
(e.g. electrical, machanical, hydraulic, etc.) are deactivated.
Stored energy, such as that in capacitors, springs, elevated machine
memebers, rotation flywheels, hydraulic systems, and gas, air, steam
or water pressure, etc., must be dissipated or restrained by methods
such as grounding, repositioning, blocking, bleeding down, etc.,
6) Test machinery or equipment to ensure that the energy sources have
been effectively disconnected or isolated. As a precautionary measure
return the operating controls to the "OFF" position after the test
has been completed.
NOTE
The test shall only be performed after ensuring that no employees are
exposed in the machine or equipment area.
7) Remove locks only after ensuring the safety of all exposed employees.
8) Train employees responsible for machinery or equipment lock-out in
all elements of the program.  This training shall be repeated as
frequently as necessary to maintain management and work proficiency,
and compliance with the procedure.
9) Evaluate the program periodically to ensure continued use and
adequacy.
10) Enforce all provisions of the program.