OSHA Inspection: GATES & SONS, INC.

Issued

Sep 13, 2011

Abate by

Sep 27, 2011

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $1,260 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.107(f)(3) Sprinklers protecting spraying areas were not kept as free from deposits as practical by cleaning daily if necessary:    (a)	Gates & Sons, Inc. at 90 S. Fox St., Denver, CO 80223:  Sprinklers in the spray booth were not kept as free from deposits as practical in that all six of the sprinkler heads in the spray booth were covered in overspray.  Employees spray Anchor paints containing naphtha, xylene and ethyl benzene as well as other chemicals in this spray booth.  This condition exposed the employees to a fire hazard.

Issued

Sep 13, 2011

Abate by

Feb 2, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $1,260 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(B):  The energy control procedures did not clearly and specifically outline the steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy.    (a)	Gates & Sons, Inc. at 90 S. Fox St., Denver, CO 80223:  The employer did not ensure that the  energy control procedures clearly and specifically outlined the steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy.  Each piece of equipment has multiple energy sources, electrical and pneumatic.  The employer did not have specific procedures for each machine in that procedures had been developed for only some of the machines in the welding shop, hardware assembly, twisted wire area, panel form shop and the metal fabrication shop.  This condition exposed the employee and outside contractors to an uncontrolled energy source hazard.

Issued

Sep 13, 2011

Abate by

Oct 27, 2011

Penalty

Initial $1,575 · Current $945 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1):  Machine guarding was not provided to protect operators employees from hazards created by ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks:    (a)	Gates & Sons, Inc. at 90 S. Fox St., Denver, CO 80223:  Machine guarding was not   provided in that the Fabrica Machine Bergamo horizontal steel cutting bandsaw was not fitted with a guard to protect the unused portion of the blade.  This condition exposed the employees to an   amputation hazard.    (b)	Gates & Sons, Inc. at 90 S. Fox St., Denver, CO 80223:  Machine guarding was not   provided in that the 5 Sharp mills in the machine shop were not fitted with a guard to protect the employee from rotating parts.  This condition exposed the employees to an   amputation hazard.    (c)	Gates & Sons, Inc. at 90 S. Fox St., Denver, CO 80223:  Machine guarding was not   provided in that the rod cleaner in the rental yard not fitted with a guard to protect the employee from rotating parts.  This condition exposed the employees to an   amputation hazard.

Issued

Sep 13, 2011

Abate by

Sep 27, 2011

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $1,260 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(2)(ii): The employer did not establish and implement those elements of a written respiratory protection program necessary to ensure that any employee using a respirator voluntarily was medically able to use that respirator, and that the respirator was cleaned, stored, and maintained so that its use did not present a health hazard to the user:    (a)	Gates & Sons, Inc. at 90 S. Fox St., Denver, CO 80223:  The employer did not ensure that any employee using a respirator voluntarily was medically able to use the respirator.  The employer provided tight-fitting facepiece respirators for voluntary use and did not ensure that employees received a medical evaluation prior to initial use of the respirator.  This condition exposed the employees to a respiratory hazard.

Issued

Sep 13, 2011

Abate by

Nov 30, 2011

Penalty

Initial $1,575 · Current $945 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1)(i):  The employer did not maintain a list of the hazardous chemicals known to be present using an identity that is referenced on the appropriate material safety data sheet:    (a)	Gates & Sons, Inc., 90 S. Fox Street, Denver, CO 80223: The employer did not maintain an inventory or list in the binder containing the material safety data sheets for chemicals known to be in the workplace.    This condition exposed the employees to hazardous materials.

Issued

Sep 13, 2011

Abate by

Sep 27, 2011

Penalty

Initial $1,575 · Current $945 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(5)(ii): The employer did not ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace was labeled, tagged or marked with the identity of the hazardous chemical(s) contained therein:    (a)	Gates & Sons, Inc., 90 S. Fox Street, Denver, CO 80223:  The employer did not ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace was labeled, tagged or marked with the identity of the hazardous chemical(s) contained therein, such as but not limited to a 5 gallon bucket of xylene and a 5 gallon bucket of water/xylene/paint mixture in the paint booth.  This condition exposed the employees to hazardous materials.  Abatement Note:  Each container shall be marked with the appropriate hazard warnings, or alternatively, words, pictures, symbols, or combination thereof, which provide at least general information regarding the hazards of the chemicals, and which, in conjunction with the other information immediately available to employees under the hazard communication program, will provide employees with the specific information regarding the physical and health hazards of the hazardous chemical.

Issued

Sep 13, 2011

Abate by

Sep 27, 2011

Penalty

Initial $1,575 · Current $945 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(8):  The employer did not maintain copies of the required material safety data sheets for each hazardous chemical in the workplace and did not ensure that they were readily accessible during each work shift to employees when they were in their work areas:    (a)	Gates & Sons, Inc., 90 S. Fox Street, Denver, CO 80223: The employer did not ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace was labeled, tagged or marked with the identity of the hazardous chemical(s) contained therein, such as but not limited to the Anchor Lohaps National Blue paint.  This condition exposed the employees to hazardous materials.

Issued

Sep 13, 2011

Abate by

Sep 27, 2011

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.107(b)(5)(ii): Discarded filter pads and filter rolls were not immediately removed to a safe, well-detached location or placed in a water-filled metal container and disposed of at the close of the day's operation when not maintained completely in water:    (a)	Gates & Sons, Inc. at 90 S. Fox St., Denver, CO 80223:  The employer did not ensure filter pads were properly disposed of a well-detached location completely placed in water until properly disposed of.  The pads were disposed of into a dumpster on the worksite.

Issued

Sep 13, 2011

Abate by

Sep 27, 2011

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(g)(1)(i):  The dimension of the working space in the direction of access to live parts operating at 600 volts or less and likely to require examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance while alive was less than indicated in Table S1:    (a)	Gates & Sons, Inc. at 90 S. Fox St., Denver, CO 80223:  The employer did not ensure the working space of at least 3 feet in front of electrical panels and switch boxes in the welded wire area of the facility in that 2 panels were blocked by material and equipment.    (b)	Gates & Sons, Inc. at 90 S. Fox St., Denver, CO 80223:  The employer did not ensure the working space of at least 3 feet in front of electrical panels and switch boxes in the rebar shed of the facility in that 1 panel was blocked by material and equipment.