OSHA Inspection: ARIZONA PISTACHIO

Issued

Dec 1, 2010

Abate by

Dec 25, 2010

Penalty

Initial $375 · Current $375

General-duty citation text

A.R.S. 23-4-3.A.:  The employer did not furnish to each of his employees
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 their employees, in that employees
entered the
pistachio storage silos without the employer determining potential hazards
of the confined
space inside the silos and protecting the employees from these hazards:
(a) Pistachio storage silos:  Employees were exposed to confined space
hazards when
they entered the bottom hatches of empty silos to clean the silos, and
when they
entered the top hatches of partially or completely filled silos to fix
problems identified
in the silos.  A feasible method of controlling the hazards would include
determining
possible hazards for employees entering the confined spaces, posting signs
on the
hatches warning employees of confined space hazards, and training employees
concerning the potential hazards, how to control the hazards, and methods
used to
document, observe, and provide emergency escape from the confined spaces.