OSHA Inspection: L & L ASSOCIATES OF PARSIPPANY (T/A WENDY'S)

Issued

Jan 11, 2000

Abate by

Jan 14, 2000

Penalty

Initial $3,150 · Current $1,575 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 burn hazards from hot vegetable oil:
a) Area between cooking grill and center tank of "Henny Penny" french fry
equipment;
Employees were exposed to the hazard of being burned by hot vegetable oil
during an oil
filtering operation. An employee was injured on 12/22/99 after a flush
hose, which was left
unattended while running, slipped out of the french fry tank it had been
set in. Hot oil from the
hose then discharged onto an employee who was working in the area.
The employer did not comply with their own standard operating procedures,
in that employee(s)
were not advised that the operation was underway and a flush hose in use
at the time of the
accident, was left unattended while the hot oil was still being pumped.
Additionally, the oil
filtering operation was not performed during before the restaurant opened
or during pre-closing
activities. (Reference: Wendy's training video relating to french
fry/chicken fryer equipment).
One feasible and acceptable abatement method of abatement is to follow
their own standard
operating procedures which include, but are not limited to; 1) performing
the oil filtering
operation before the store opens or during pre-close operations; 2)
advising employee(s) who
work in the area that the oil filtering operation is about to start; and
3) ensuring that employee(s)
who use the flush hose to clean tanks, physically hold the hose while
tanks/drains are being
cleaned/filtered.
Violation occurred on or about 12/22/99.