OSHA Inspection: ROGGEN FARMERS ELEVATOR ASSOCIATION

Issued

Jun 19, 2012

Abate by

Jul 4, 2012

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,675 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1928.57(a)(6):  At the time of initial assignment and at least annually thereafter, the employer did not instruct every employee in the safe operation and servicing of all covered equipment with which he is or would be involved.       (a)  Roggen Farms, 36401 Weld County Road 24 1/2, Roggen, CO 80652:  On and before April 11, 2012, the exposing  employer did not effectively instruct every employee in the hazards associated with contact with the point of operation, and use of the machine without supervsion or aid, of an Ag Solutions Hood Bag Winder.  Lack of adequate instruction resulted in an employee attempting to thread an Ag bagger by himself, becoming caught up in the machines mechanism, and ultimately resulting in his death.

Issued

Jun 19, 2012

Abate by

Jul 4, 2012

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,675 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1928.57(a)(6)(iii):  The employer did not develo a program/procedure to stop the engine, disconnect the power source, and wait for all machine movement to stop before servicing, adjusting, cleaning, or unclogging the equipment.      (a)  Roggen Farms, 36401 Weld County Road 24 1/2, Roggen, CO 80652:  On and before April 11, 2012, the exposing  employer did not effectively develop a program or operating procedure which ensured that the Ag Solutions Hood Bag winder was effectively stopped and disconnected or isolated from ther power source prior to servicing and adjusting the Hood Bag winder. Lack of adequate procedures for servicing the machine resulted in an employee attempting to thread an Ag bagger by himself, becoming caught up in the machines mechanism, and ultimately resulting in his death.

Issued

Jun 19, 2012

Abate by

Jul 4, 2012

Penalty

Initial $4,200 · Current $3,150 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1928.57(a)(8)(i): Where guards were used to provide the protection required by this section, they were not designed and located to protect against inadvertent contact with the hazard being guarded.    (a)  Roggen Farms, 36401 Weld County Road 24 1/2, Roggen, CO 80652:  On and before April 11, 2012, the exposing  employer did not effectively locate guards to protect agaisnt contact with the point of operation of an Ag Solutions Hood Bag Winder.  Lack of adequately designed machine guarding resulted in an employee becoming caught up in the machines mechanism resulting in his death.      (b)  Roggen Farms, 36401 Weld County Road 24 1/2, Roggen, CO 80652;  On and before April 11, 2012, the exposing employer did not ensure that a chain pulley system on two GBU Loftness bag onloading systems were guarded against accidental contact.  Condition exposed employees to contact with the spinning chain system on the end of the equipment.

Issued

Jun 19, 2012

Abate by

Aug 3, 2012

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,625 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(c)(1):  Every open-sided floor or platform 4 feet or more above adjacent floor or ground level was not guarded by a standard railing (or the equivalent as specified in paragraph (e)(3) of this section) on all open sides except where there is entrance to a ramp, stairway, or fixed ladder.     (a)  Roggen Farms, 36401 Weld County Road 24 1/2, Roggen, CO 80652; On and before April 11, 2012, the exposing employer did not provide guard rails on the open side of a walkway located inside the dry fertilization plants overhead crawlspace.  Lack of guarding exposed employees to fall hazards of approximately 12 feet while servcing the dry fertilization plants moving machinery or aligning the auging mechanism.    (b)  Roggen Farms,  36401 Weld County Road 24 1/2, Roggen, CO 80652; On and before April 11, 2012, the exposing employer did not provide guard rails on the open side of a small platform located on the south side of the large grain silos near the number 3 access port.  Condition exposed employees utilzing the platform to fall hazards of approximately 17 feet while using the platform.

Issued

Jun 19, 2012

Abate by

Jul 4, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $1,575 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(e)(1): A standard railing did not consist of top rail and intermediate rail.  The intermediate rail was not  approximately halfway between the top rail and the floor, platform, runway, or ramp.     (a)  Roggen Farms, 36401 Weld County Road 24 1/2, Roggen, CO 80652;  On and before April 11, 2012, the exposing  employer did not provide for a mid rail for three platforms located on the south side of the main concrete grain silos.  Condition exposed employees to fall hazards of approximately 14 feet when utilizing the platforms.    (b)  Roggen Farms, 36401 Weld County Road 24 1/2, Roggen, CO 80652;  On and before April 11, 2012, the exposing employer did not provide for mid rails on platforms located in the main grain annex areas covered truck delievry area.  Condition exposed employees using the platforms to fall hazards of approximately 8 feet when using the platforms.

Issued

Jun 19, 2012

Abate by

Jul 4, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.27(d)(3): The side rails of through or side-step ladder extensions did not extend 3 1/2 feet above parapets and landings.    (a)  Roggen Farms, 36401 Weld County Road 24 1/2, Roggen, CO 80652:  On and before April 11, the exposing employer did not ensure that the side rails of ladders provding access to the platforms located on the south side of the large concrete grain bins extended 3 1/2 feet above the landing.  Condition exposed employees to fall hazards as they accessed the platforms.

Issued

Jun 19, 2012

Abate by

Jul 4, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $1,575 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.24(h): "Railings and handrails." Standard railings shall be provided on the open sides of all exposed stairways and stair platforms. Handrails shall be provided on at least one side of closed stairways preferably on the right side descending. Stair railings and handrails shall be installed in accordance with the provisions of 1910.23.    (a)  Roggen Farms, 36401 Weld County Road 24 1/2, Roggen, CO 80652; On and before April 11, 2012, the exposing employer did not provide for guard rails on a stairway leading down to the basement of the Mill.  Condition exposed employees to fall hazards as they used the stairway.

Issued

Jun 19, 2012

Abate by

Jul 4, 2012

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,625 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(d)(1): The employer failed to assess the workplace to determine if hazards were present, or likely to be present, which necessitated the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and issue the appropritae PPE based on those hazards.           (a)  Roggen Farms, 36401 Weld County Road 24 1/2, Roggen, CO 80652:  On and before April 11, 2012, the exposing employer did not assess the safety hazards and required personal protective equipment required for employees taking sounding measurements on top of the main grain silos through one of 12 - 38" x 38" access hatches, or any of six 20" x 20" hatches, located on top of the main grain silos.  Access points have metal doors which are opened to allow employees to take sounding measurements of grain in the silos during which employer did not have any fall protective personal equipment in place.  Condition exposed employees to fall hazards of 100 feet when taking soundings depending on the amount of grain in the bins.

Issued

Jun 19, 2012

Abate by

Jul 4, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,400 · Current $1,800 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(c)(2):  In a workplace which contains permit spaces, the employer did not inform exposed employees, by posting danger signs or by any other equally effective means, of the existence and location of and the danger posed by the permit spaces.     NOTE: A sign reading DANGER -- PERMIT-REQUIRED CONFINED SPACE, DO NOT ENTER or using other similar language would satisfy the requirement for a sign.    (a)  Roggen Farms, 36401 Weld County Road 24 1/2, Roggen, CO 80652:  On and before April 11, 2012, the exposing  employer did not effectively post a sign warning employees of where permit-required confined spaces were located.  Confined space was the surgetank located under the mill and accessed by employees periodically to clean.  Lack of adequate warnings exposed employees to the hazards of a permit required confined space in a remote location.

Issued

Jun 19, 2012

Abate by

Jul 4, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,400 · Current $1,800 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1): One or more methods of machine guarding was not provided to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as those created by point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks.     (a)  Roggen Farms, 36401 Weld County Road 24 1/2, Roggen, CO 80652:  On an before April 11, 2012, the exposing  employer did not effectively guard the rotating portion of a chain drive system on the located at the bottom of the corn drier on both the front and back of the machine.  Lack of machine guarding exposed employees to the spinning chain mechanism of the system.        (b)  Roggen Farms, 36401 Weld County Road 24 1/2, Roggen, CO 80652:  On and before April 11, 2012, the exposing employer did not ensure that belt and pulley system located on the back of the surgebin was protected against accidental contact.  Condition exposed employees to contact with the spinning pulley system.    (c)  Roggen Farms, 36401 Weld County Road 24 1/2, Roggen, CO 80652:  On and before April 11, 2012, the exposing employer did not ensure that the hoist mechanism for the man lift in the grain elevator was properly guarded agaisnt accidental contact.  Condition exposed employees to contact with the spinning elevator hoist system.

Issued

Jun 19, 2012

Abate by

Jul 4, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $1,575 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(5):  When the periphery of the blades of a fan was less than seven (7) feet above the floor or working level, the blades were not guarded. The guard had openings larger than one-half (1/2) inch.    (a)  Roggen Farms, 36401 Weld County Road 24 1/2, Roggen, CO 80652:  On an before April 11, 2012, the exposing  employer did not effectively guard the blades of a fan located in the electrical room whose lower openings where at approxmately 6 feet, with openings larger than 1/2 an inch.  Conditions exposed employees to the dangers on contact with the fan blades while the fan was in operation.

Issued

Jun 19, 2012

Abate by

Jul 5, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(p)(1): If at any time a powered industrial truck is found to be in need of repair, defective, or in any way unsafe, the truck shall be taken out of service until it has been restored to safe operating condition.    (a)  Roggen Farms, 36401 Weld County Road 24 1/2, Roggen, CO 80652;  On and before April 11, 2012, the exposing employer did not remove a powered industrial truck whose back up signal was malfunctioning.  Condition exposed employees to struck by and caught between hazards due to the lack of an alram on the fork lift when in reverse.

Issued

Jun 19, 2012

Abate by

Aug 17, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.272(g)(4): The employer failed to provide equipment for rescue operations specifically suited for the bin, silo, or tank being entered.    (a)  Roggen Farms, 36401 Weld County Road 24 1/2, Roggen, CO 80652:  On and before April 11, 2012, the exposing employer failed to provide equipment for rescue operations specifically suited for the bin, silo, or tank being entered.  Condition exposed employees to the hazards of improper extraction during emergencies.