OSHA Inspection: PAUL HARRIS FARMS, INC.

Issued

Oct 7, 2013

Abate by

Oct 15, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $1,470 Reduced

General-duty citation text

North Carolina General Statute 95-129(1) of the Occupational Safety and
Health Act of North Carolina: 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 caught in between hazards:
a) A tobacco field located near 17218 NC 903, Robersonville, NC, 27871
where the
employer provided a Carolina Tobacco Services, Inc. tobacco harvester for
an
employee to use to harvest tobacco. One tobacco harvester operator died as
a result of
unclogging tobacco from a conveyor belt on or about July 22, 2013.
Employees
routinely unclogged tobacco harvesters with the machine running.  On the
day of the
accident, an employee unclogged the tobacco harvester with the machine
running and
without disengaging a conveyor belt, which resulted in the victim being
pulled into the
harvester by the conveyor belt.  A presence-sensing "dead-man" switch that
is located
underneath the operator's seat had been disabled sometime within the life
of the
tobacco harvester.
ABATEMENT NOTE:
1)Among other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to
correct the hazard are to
return the harvester back to its original manufacturer specifications by
re-installing the dead
man switch, and to stop the engine, disconnect the power source, and wait
for all machine
movement to stop before servicing, adjusting, cleaning, or unclogging the
equipment.

Issued

Oct 7, 2013

Abate by

Oct 15, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,500 · Current $1,050 Reduced

Issued

Oct 7, 2013

Abate by

Oct 15, 2013