OSHA Inspection: ALCO STORES INC.

Issued

Apr 26, 2013

Abate by

May 16, 2013

Penalty

Initial $5,500 · Current $3,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(e)(2): Stair rails did not consist of a top rail, intermediate rail and/or posts, with the vertical height not more than 34 inches (86.36 cm) nor less than 30 inches (76.2 cm) from upper surface of top rail to surface of tread in line with    The employer failed to protect employees from potential fall hazards associate with inadequate guard railing on fix stair ways.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 407 East Hwy 20, Gordon, NE 69343, where the employer has employees accessing the second floor offices by using a stairway that is missing a mid-railing and the top rail is only 35 tall.

Issued

Apr 26, 2013

Abate by

May 16, 2013

Penalty

Initial $5,500 · Current $3,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(b)(1)(viii): Other factors that contribute to the practical safeguarding of persons using or likely to come in contact with the equipment.    The employer failed to protect employees from potential electrical hazards associate with unprotected lights in the work place.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 407 East Hwy 20, Gordon, NE 69343, where the employer has employees working in the second floor office where the floor to ceiling height is approximately 6 feet tall.  The fluorescent lights that illuminate the room are unprotected and with the ceiling height only 6 feet creates an electrical hazard should an employee reach up with an arm or hand and come into contact with the terminal ends.

Issued

Apr 26, 2013

Abate by

May 16, 2013

Penalty

Initial $5,500 · Current $3,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(f)(2): Each service, feeder, and branch circuit, at its disconnecting means or overcurrent device, was not legibly marked to indicate its purpose, nor located and arranged so the purpose was evident:(a) (LOCATION) (IDENTIFY EQUIPMENT) (STATE HAZARD(S) TO EMPLOYEE(S))    The employer failed to protect employees from potential electrical hazards associate with unlabeled electrical panel boxes.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 407 East Hwy 20, Gordon, NE 69343, where the employer has employees accessing the electrical panel box in the candy room to turn on and off lights and the panel box is not labeled to ensure the employees do no turn off the wrong switch that may control a vital piece of equipment.

Issued

Apr 26, 2013

Abate by

May 16, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(g)(1)(ii): The required working space about electric equipment rated 600 volts, nominal, or less to ground, was used for storage:(a) (LOCATION) (IDENTIFY EQUIPMENT AND CONDITION(S)) (STATE HAZARD(S) TO EMPLOYEE(S))  The employer failed to protect employees from potential electrical hazards associate with blocking electrical panel boxes.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 407 East Hwy 20, Gordon, NE 69343, where the employer has pallets of candy boxes blocking the electrical panel box located in the candy room and employees accessing the electrical panel box to turn on and off lights and the panel box is not labeled to ensure the employees do no turn off the wrong switch that may control a vital piece of equipment

Issued

Apr 26, 2013

Abate by

May 16, 2013

Penalty

Initial $5,500 · Current $3,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(b)(1): Openings through which conductors enter boxes, cabinets, or fittings were not effectively closed:(a) (LOCATION) (IDENTIFY EQUIPMENT AND CONDITION(S)) (STATE HAZARD(S) TO EMPLOYEE(S))     The employer failed to protect employees from potential electrical hazards associate with unused openings in an electrical box.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 407 East Hwy 20, Gordon, NE 69343, where the employer has employees working near the unsecured electrical panel box in the storage room that is missing a knock out thus leaving live wires exposed.

Issued

Apr 26, 2013

Abate by

Aug 5, 2013

Penalty

Initial $5,500 · Current $3,000 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:(a)(LOCATION)(IDENTIFY SPECIFIC CHEMICAL/PRODUCT(S) EXPOSURE INCLUDING SPECIFIC TARGET ORGAN EFFECTS, CARCINOGEN WARNING AND/OR PHYSICAL HAZARDS AS APPLICABLE WHICH ARE NOT LISTED ON THE LABEL)     The employer failed to protect employees from potential chemical hazards associate with the lack of a written Hazardous Communications Program.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 407 East Hwy 20, Gordon, NE 69343, where the employer has employees cleaning the facility daily using various types of commercial cleaners without having developing and implementing a written hazardous communications program that outlines the need to train employees on the use of chemicals, label chemical containers, wearing personal protective equipment and to readily provide material safety data sheets.

Issued

Apr 26, 2013

Abate by

Jul 1, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(8): The employer did not ensure that material safety data sheets were readily accessible to the employees in their work area during each work shift:     The employer failed to provide employees with material safety data sheets for chemicals used throughout the facility.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 407 East Hwy 20, Gordon, NE 69343, where the employer has employees cleaning the facility daily using various types of commercial cleaners and utilizes an ineffective telephone hotline number to provide material safety data sheets to employees.

Issued

Apr 26, 2013

Abate by

May 16, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1904.32(b)(6): 29 CFR 1904.32(b)(6)  The annual summary was not posted no later than February 1 of the year following the year covered by the records, and kept in place until April 30"   The employer failed to post the previous years injury and illness summary.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 407 East Hwy 20, Gordon, NE 69343, where the employer has employees and failed to post the injury and illness summary for 2012.