OSHA Inspection: U.S. AXLE, INC.

Issued

Sep 25, 2012

Abate by

Oct 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,975 · Current $2,231 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(d)(1): The employer did not assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE):    a) Induction Area - On or about April 26, 2012, the routine task of changing capacitors and fuzes on the Ajax Tocco adn Inductoheat Induction Machines was occuring and these tasks were not assessed to determine if hazards were present.  Employees were exposed to electrical hazards of up to 480 volts.

Issued

Sep 25, 2012

Abate by

Oct 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.335(a)(1)(i): Employees working in areas where there were potential electrical hazards were not provided with electrical protective equipment that was appropriate for the specific parts of the body that needed to be protected and for the work being performed:    a)  Induction Department  On or about April 26, 2012, employees setting up Induction Machines without personal protective equipment were exposed to electrical hazards when changing capacitors and fuses in a 480V system.

Issued

Sep 25, 2012

Abate by

Oct 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,975 · Current $2,231 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)  Production Floor - On or about April 26, 2012,  Energy control procedures have not been developed for equipment. Employees were engaged in the servicing and maintenance of equipment to include but not limited to Savage Cut Off Saw, Hammond Machinery Grinder - Belt (OD-9B-OD-613), Barber Colman Hobbing Machines (ALL), Ourn & Hoch CNC Hobbing Machine (200H), General Hone Honing Machine, Marvel Horizontal Band Saw (15-A), Heidenreich Horizontal Gun Deep Hole Drill, Eitel Presses Hydraulic Power Press (Straightener - 25433), Hannfin Chicago Press Hydraulic Power Press (Straightener - Axel), Daewoo/Doosan CNC Lathe (Puma 480XLM), Daewoo/Doosan CNC Lathe (Puma 700L), Clausing Colchester Manual Lathe (17), Daewoo/Doosan Manual Polishing Lathe (Puma), Giddings & Lewis Mill & Center, Bridgeport Milling Machine, Leadwell CNC Milling Machine (MCV-550S), OKK CNC Milling Machine (MH-3B), Okuma CNC Milling Machine (MC-600H-HS), Craftsman Radial Arm Saw, Pamaborn Rotoblast Shot Pean Machine (R6), Grob Vertical Band Saw (4V-18), were exposed to hazards associated with the sudden start up or energization of the equipment.

Issued

Sep 25, 2012

Abate by

Nov 30, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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):      a)  Production Floor - On or about May 10, 2012, where specific procedures for controlling hazardous energy, such as electrical, air, and water have been developed for numerous pieces of equipment, to include Induction Machines, Grinders, Lathes, Horizontal Mills, and Vertical Mills did not clearly and specifically outline the steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy as required in Paragraph (B) of this section, in that the Initial Maintenance Actions indicate that stored energy may remain in components after machine is de-energized; however applicable stored energy types or methods to dissipate the stored energy are not specifically identified in the procedural steps.    b)  Production Floor - On or about May 10, 2012, where specific procedures for controlling hazardous energy, such as electrical, air, and water have been developed for numerous pieces of equipment, to include Induction Machines, Grinders, Lathes, Horizontal Mills, and Vertical Mills did not clearly and specifically outline the steps for placement, removal and transfer of lockout devices or tagout devices and the responsibility for them, as required in paragraph (C) of this section, in that the Initial Maintenance Actions indicates that lockout/tagout devices need to be installed at all energy isolating devices; however the specific type and the method of applying the devices are not identified for each applicable energy source.    c)  Production Floor - On or about May 10, 2012, where specific procedures for controlling hazardous energy, such as electrical, air, and water have been developed for numerous pieces of equipment, to include Induction Machines, Grinders, Lathes, Horizontal Mills, and Vertical Mills, did not clearly and specifically outline the requirements for testing the equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of lockout devices, tagout devices, and other energy control as required in paragraph (D) of this section.

Issued

Sep 25, 2012

Abate by

Oct 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,975 · Current $2,231 Reduced

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.    a)  Production Floor - On or about May 10, 2012, employees, including Machine Operators, who perform servicing and maintenance of metal working machines and equipment, to include but not limited to, set up and tool/blade changes, have received not received training to the level required for Authorized Employees, in that location specific information such as types and magnitude of hazardous energy and specific steps in which to control the hazardous energy has not been included in the training.

Issued

Sep 25, 2012

Abate by

Oct 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6)(i): The employer did not conduct a periodic inspection of the energy control procedures at least annually to ensure that the procedure and the requirement of this standard were being followed:    a)  Production Floor - On or about May 10, 2012, where Machine Specific Procedures for the control of hazardous energy on metal working machines and equipment, to include but not limited to Induction Machines, Grinders, Lathes, Horizontal Mills, and Vertical Mills have been developed and documented, a periodic evaluation of the procedures has not been conducted.    b)  Production Floor - On or about May 10, 2012, where the employer has developed and documented a Generic Procedure for the control of hazardous energy, a periodic evaluation of the procedures has not been conducted.

Issued

Sep 25, 2012

Abate by

Oct 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $1,785 · Current $1,339 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.157(g)(2): The educational program to familiarize employees with the general principles of fire extinguisher use and the hazards involved with incipient stage fire fighting was not provided to all employees upon initial employment, and at least annually thereafter:    (a) Throughout Facility - On or about April 26, 2012, where portable fire extinguishers are available for use and the company Emergency Action Plan allows employees to use extinguishers to fight incipient stage fires, employees have not received annual famiiliarization training.

Issued

Sep 25, 2012

Abate by

Oct 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,975 · Current $2,231 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)  Shot Peen Area - On or about May 10, employees operating the Shot Peen were not protected from hazards created by in-going nip points when placing the "pusher" into the rotating cork-screw conveyor.    b)  Hobbing Area and Production Cells - On or about May 10, 2012, employees operating Barber Colman Hobbing Machines were not protected from hazards created by the rotating chuck.

Issued

Sep 25, 2012

Abate by

Oct 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,975 · Current $2,231 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(3)(ii): Point(s) of operation of machinery were not guarded to prevent employee(s) from having any part of their body in the danger zone(s) during operating cycle(s):    a) Production Floor - On or about April 26, 2012, employees operating the Marvel Horizontal Band Saw were not protected from hazards created by the reciprocating saw blade while cutting.    b)  Hobbing Area - On or about April 26, 2012, employees operating the Barber Colman Hobbing Machines were not protected from hazards created at the point of operation, in that the rotating "Hob" (cutting tool) was not guarded to prevent an employee's hands from entering the danger zone.    b)  Production Floor - On or about April 26, 2012, employees operating the hydraulic power press (Straightener) were not protected from hazards created at the point of operation, in that the die was not guarded to prevent an employee's hands from entering the danger zone.

Issued

Sep 25, 2012

Abate by

Oct 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,975 · Current $2,231 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.333(b)(2):  While an employee was exposed to contact with parts of fixed electric equipment or circuits which were deenergized, the requirements of paragraph (b) of 29 CFR 1910.333 were not followed in the order in which they are presented therein (i.e., paragraph (b)(2)(i) first, then paragraph (b)(2)(ii)).    a)  Induction Department - On or about April 26, 2012, employees setting up Induction Machines were exposed to electrical hazards when changing capacitors and transformer bars in a 480V system without properly locking/tagging out the equipment.

Issued

Sep 25, 2012

Abate by

Nov 30, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.333(b)(2)(iv)(B): Before circuits or equipment was worked as deenergized, a qualified person did not use test equipment to test the circuit elements and electrical parts of equipment to which employees would be exposed and did not verify that the circuit elements and equipment parts are deenergized.     a)  Induction Department - On or about April 26, 2012, employees setting up Induction Machines were exposed to electrical hazards when changing capacitors and transformer bars in a 480V system without first verifying de-energization.

Issued

Sep 25, 2012

Abate by

Oct 31, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(6):  The employer did not certify that each operator had been trained and evaluated as required by this paragraph (l):    a) Production Floor - On or about April 26, 2012, the employer did not certify that employees had received training and had their performance evaluated prior to operating powered industrial trucks throughout the facility.

Issued

Sep 25, 2012

Abate by

Oct 17, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7): Powered industrial truck(s) which were used on a round-the-clock basis were not examined for defects after each shift:    (a) Production Floor - On or about April 26, 2012, where employees operate powered industrial trucks on each of three shifts, the trucks were not examined for defects which could affect the safe operation of the truck on each shift.

Issued

Sep 25, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(5): The employer did not ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace was labeled, tagged, or marked with the identity and appropriate hazard warnings regarding the chemicals contained therein:    (a) Production Floor - On or about April 26, 2012, employees were utilizing hazardous chemicals, in the performance of axle, shaft, and casing manufacturing, including 32 ounce spray bottles filled with unknown liquids that were not properly labeled and did not identify the contents.