OSHA Inspection: HUBBELL LIGHTING, INC.

Issued

Dec 19, 2008

Abate by

Feb 9, 2009

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

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 operators in the
Secondary Work Department, were exposed to the hazards of being struck by
or caught in
hydraulic presses; causing finger and hand crushing/amputation injuries.
On or about June 18, 2008 and times thereto, at the workplace located at
or near 216
Mims Drive, El Dorado, Arkansas, operators in the Secondary Work
Department were
exposed to the hazards of being struck by or caught in hydraulic presses;
causing finger
and hand crushing/amputation injuries because:
(a) Employees who operated hydraulic presses had not received adequate
training in the
proper care and use of the press or presses,
(b) Two hand control levers were not protected against unintended
operation,
(c) The employer had not established and followed a systematic program of
periodic and
regular inspection of their hydraulic presses,
(d) Employees who performed inspections on hydraulic presses were not
properly
observed to ensure their competence, and
(e) Employees were allowed to remove parts from the press operating zone
with their
hands instead of using hand tools.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) B11.2-1995 Hydraulic Power
Presses -
Safety Requirements for Construction, Care, and Use; requires that the
employer be
responsible for the safety, use and care of the hydraulic power press
production
system.This includes the installation of the press and its related
equipment, set up and
operation of the press and the maintenance of the complete system.
Specifically:
Paragraph 4.2.4 (Employer's Responsibilities) of the referenced standard
states: "The
employer shall be responsible for the training of personnel caring for,
inspecting,
maintaining and operating hydraulic press production systems to ensure
their
competence."
Paragraph 6.3.9 (Actuating Means) of the referenced standard states in
part: "When two
hand control is provided, each hand control shall be protected against
unintended
actuation."
Paragraph 10.7, of the referenced standard states: "Personnel removing
stuck work
pieces or scrap from the dies shall be safeguarded in accordance with
clause 8 or shall
be provided with and required to use tools that will eliminate the need to
place their
hands in the dies."
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct these
hazards is to comply with ANSI B11.2-1995, Standard for Machine Tools-
Hydraulic
Power Presses-Safety Requirements for Construction, Care and Use by:
1. Establishing and following a program of periodic and regular
inspections and
maintenance for the hydraulic presses, including documentation of those
inspections;
2. Ensuring that the employees performing hydraulic press inspections have
been
adequately trained and are competent to perform such;
3. Ensuring that all operators , set-up personnel and maintenance staff
have been
adequately trained in the proper care and use of hydraulic presses and,
that the training
is documented.
4. Replace the currently installed two hand control levers with button
operated
two hand
constant pressure controls and/or presence sensing devices. And such
devices should be
designed and installed by persons competent and trained with such control
methods.
In accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19(d), along with the information on
abatement
certification required by paragraph c(3) of this section for this
violation,
documentation demonstrating that abatement is complete must be included
with your
certification. This documentation may include, but is not limited to,
evidence of the
purchase or repair of the equipment, photographic or video evidence of
abatement,
or other written records.