OSHA Inspection: WOOD POWER, INC.

Issued

Jan 28, 1988

Abate by

Mar 1, 1988

Penalty

Initial $640 · Current $400 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were
free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death
or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to:
a) On or about 10:30 p.m., December 20, 1987, and at times prior to,
employees realigning the reclaimer chains at the reclaimer area of
the co-generator plant were exposed to the hazard of becoming
entangled in the moving conveyor chains, by working on and around the
moving chains, or by having the chains inadvertently activated during
the realigning procedure.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard is to develop and impelement a safe operating
procedures program, including a lockout policy such as that stipulated
by AZSI Z244.1-1982, Section 4 & 5, American National Standard of
Minimum Safety Requirements for Lockout/Tagout of Energy Sources for
Personal Protection. Essential elemetns of the safe operating procedures
program and lockout policy would include:
1) Establishing written safety policy rules and procedures relating to
working on moving equipment.
2) Before any maintenance, inspection, clearing, adjusting, or servicing
of equipment (electrical, mechanical, or other) that required
entrance into or close contact with the machinery or equipment, the
main power disconnect switch or valve, or both, controlling its
source of power to flow of material, shall be locked out or blocked
off with a padlock, blank flange, or similar service. Residual energy
in equipment having systems such as pneumatic, hydraulic, compressed
springs, or other shall have these systems bled off, blocked or other
effective means impelemented to create a zero energy state.
3) Provide each employee locks keyed separately to ensure removal only
by that employee.
4) Provide safety and lock out training for all effected employees,
including both maintenance and operational crews.
5) Strickly enforce all provisions of the safety program and the lockout
policy.
6) Periodically evaluate the program and lock out policy for
effectiveness.
7) Install electrical power disconnect switches for the chains in the
reclaimer area so that employees do not have to go to the 2nd floor
of the boiler building next door to shut off the power.

Issued

Jan 28, 1988

Abate by

Feb 10, 1988