OSHA Inspection: OMEGA METAL TREATING INC

Issued

2012-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-03-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4200.00 · Current $2940.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(c)(1): The employer did not evaluate the workplace to determine if any spaces were permit-required confined spaces:    The company had not evaluated the workplace to determine if confined spaces such as heat treating furnaces were permit-required confined spaces.  Maintenance and/or service tasks required employees to enter the heat treating furnaces or other confined spaces within the facility.     Abatement Certification and Abatement Documentation Required.

Issued

2012-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-03-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4): When the employer decided that its employees would enter permit spaces, the employer did not develop and implement a written permit space entry program that complied with 29 CFR 1910.146:    a) Prior to the inspection of November 23rd, 2011 the company had not developed and/or implemented a permit required confined space program to protect employees entering furnaces from exposures associated with gases, heat and mechanical devices.     b) On or about October 4th, 2011 two employees suffered severe burns to their faces and arms while attempting to remove a broken parts basket from the inside of Furnace S3 without utiliizing a permit space entry procedure.   A permit-required confined space entry program had not been implemented.    c) Prior to the inspection of November 23rd, 2011, an employee assisting the maintenance personal in replacing the air cylinders inside Furnace S3 was exposed to a crushing hazard when the air line was re-connected while the employee was still inside the furnace.  No permit-required confined space entry program or procedure was implemented.     Abatment Certification and Abatement Documentation Required.

Issued

2012-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-03-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(g)(1): The employer did not provide training so that all employees, whose work was regulated by 29 CFR 1910.146 (permit required confined spaces), acquired the understanding, knowledge, and skills necessary for the safe performance of the duties assigned under 29 CFR 1910.146:    a) Prior to the inspection of November 23rd, 2011 the company had not conducted training for employees that were exposed to hazards while entering furnaces in the facility to ensure the employees were able to conduct the work safely.     b) On or about October 4th, 2011 two employees suffered severe burns to their faces and arms while attempting to remove a broken parts basket from the inside of Furnace S3.  Employees had not previously been trained on safe entry procedures for this furnace.    c) Prior to the inspection of November 23rd, 2011, an employee helped the maintenance personal to replace the air cylinders inside Furnace S3. The employee was exposed to a crushing hazard when the air line was re-connected while the employee was still inside the furnace, on top of the elevator rack.  Employees had not previously been trained on safe entry procedures for this furnace.        Abatment Certification and Abatement Documentation Required.

Issued

2012-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-03-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4200.00 · Current $2940.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(i): Procedures were not developed, documented and utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees were engaged in activities covered by this section:    a) The employer did not ensure that each employee engaged in servicing and maintenance activities of equipment were utilizing the energy control procedures to ensure they were protected from unexceptant releases of hazardous energy.     b) During an air cylinder replacement in furnace S3, all employee(s) performing the maintenance work had not applied the lockout tagout procedures to ensure each was individually protected from a release of hazardous energy. A near miss occurred when an employee assisting maintenance was on the elevator rack and the airline was re-connected by another employee. The rack moved upwards, almost crushing the employee inside.     c) On or about October 4th, 2011, two employees and the shop foreman attempted to manually remove a broken parts basket from furnace S3. Lockout tagout procedures were not applied by any of the employees while they were working in and around the front of the furnace. The natural gas-line was not shut-off properly, leading to the gas accumulating in the the front. While the employees were working, the gas ignited and injured two of the employees involved.     Abatement Certification and Abatement Documentation Required.

Issued

2012-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-03-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6)(i): The employer did not conduct a periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually to ensure that the procedure and the requirement of this standard were being followed:    On or about November 23rd, 2011, the company had not conducted periodic inspections for their energy control procedures to ensure deficiencies in their procedure(s) were identified and corrected to ensure employees were protected from un-expectant releases of hazardous energy. Two incidents occurred involving deficiencies in the company's lockout tagout procedures, one resulting in employees receiving severe burns.    Abatement Certification and Abatement Documentation Required.

Issued

2012-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-03-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(i)(A): Authorized employee(s) did not receive training in the recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and the methods and means necessary for energy isolation:    On or about November 23rd, 2011, each affected employee(s), as defined by the company, were not treated as authorized employees when their job duties included performing/assisting with servicing and maintenance work. These employees were not given the appropriate training to ensure they were protected from unexpectant release of hazardous energy while engaged in servicing and maintenance work.     Abatement Certification and Abatement Documentation Required.

Issued

2012-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-03-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(d)(3): All energy isolating devices that were needed to control the energy to the machine or equipment were not physically located and operated in such a manner as to isolate the machine or equipment from the energy source(s):    a) On or about October 4th, 2011, two employees and the shop foreman did not located each gas valve and render it in a safe, "off" position before attempting to remove a broken parts basket from inside furnace S3. The natural gas valve was not shut off properly, causing the gas to accumilate inside the furnace vestible. The gas was ignited while the employees were in and around the front of the furnace, burning them severely on their faces and arms.     Abatement Certification and Abatement Documentation Required.

Issued

2012-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-03-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4200.00 · Current $2940.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii): Procedures did not clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, and techniques to be utilized for the control of hazardous energy, and the means to enforce compliance including, but not limited to, 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(A), (c)(4)(ii)(B), (c)(4)(ii)(C) and (c)(4)(ii)(D)(h):    a) On or about November 23rd, 2011 the company did not have specific procedures that specificially outlined steps to be taken by authorized employees to properly implement lockout tagout procedures for placement, removal and transfer of the devices, to ensure employee safety during servicing and maintenance operations.     b)Prior to the inspection on November 23rd, 2011, an employee was almost crushed in between the elevator rack and the top of furnace S3. The company had not authorized the employee to perform lockout tagout procedures. The maintenance employee who had applied lockout tagout initially prior to the beginning of the work, had removed his device to adjust the height of the rack while the employee was still inside the furnace.   Procedures did not account for group lock-out or tag-out.    c) On or about October 4th, 2011, two employees and the shop foreman attempted to manually remove a broken parts basket from furnace S3. No one applied lockout tagout devices nor rendered gas lines inoperative while they were working in and around the front of the furnace. The natural gas-line was not shut-off properly, leading to the gas accumulating in the the front. While the employees were working the gas ignited, injuring the two employees.  The procedures did not address removal of parts and/or parts basket inside the furnaces.     Abatement Certification and Abatement Documentation Required.

Issued

2012-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-03-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(f)(1): When lockout or tagout devices temporarily were removed from the energy isolating device and the machine or equipment was energized to test or position the machine, equipment or component thereof, the sequence of actions in 29 CFR were not followed:     When it was necessary to remove the lockout device and close the air line valve supplying pressure to the elevator rack on furnace S3 during a replacement task, all employee(s) were not removed from the hazardous location. An employee was almost crushed between the elevator rack and the top of the furnace when the elevator was engaged due to restored pressure on the line.     Abatement Certification and Abatement Documentation Required.

Issued

2012-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-03-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(f)(3)(i): A procedure was not utilized to afford the employees a level of protection equivalent to that provided by the implementation of a personal lockout or tagout device when servicing and/or maintenance was performed by a crew, craft, department or other group.     During maintenance and servicing activities involving the eight heat treating furnaces in the facility, only one employee applied lockout tagout devices to the energy source shut-offs. Each additonal employee involved was not afforded the level of personnal protection required by this standard.     Abatement Certification and Abatement Documentation Required.

Issued

2012-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-03-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3600.00 · Current $2520.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): The employer did not develop, implement, and/or maintain at the workplace a written hazard communication program which describes how the criteria specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) will be met:    On or about November 23rd, 2011, the employer did not develop in the workplace, a written Hazard Communication program for employees exposed to hazardous materials such as:     1) Natural gases  2) Endothermic gas  3) Nitrogen    All provisions of the 29 CFR 1910.1200(f) through (h) must be covered in a Hazard Communication Program. Key elements include, but are not limited to the following:     1. Labeling   2. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)   3. Employee information and training    Abatement Certification and Abatement Documentation Required.

Issued

2012-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-03-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1): The employer did not provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment, and whenever a new physical or health hazard the employees had not previously been trained about was introduced into their work area:     On or about November 23rd, 2011, the employer did not provide employees with effective training information about the potential chemical exposures in their workplace.     Abatement Certification and Abatement Documentation Required.

Issued

2012-02-24 00:00:00

Abate by

2012-02-29 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1904.32(b)(3): The company did not certify the 300A summary form for each calendar year:     a) On or about November 23rd, 2011, the highest managment official in the company did not certify the 300A annual summary form 2008.     b) On or about November 23rd, 2011, the highest managment official in the company did not certify the 300A annual summary form 2009.     c) On or about November 23rd, 2011, the highest managment official in the company did not certify the 300A annual summary form 2010.     Abatement Certification and Abatement Documentation Required.