OSHA Inspection: NATIONAL BEDDING COMPANY, LLC

Issued

May 30, 2013

Abate by

Jun 25, 2013

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $4,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which was free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to amputation hazards while loading and unloading the mattress roller conveyor system.    a)  Line Load Conveyor System, on or about 3/4/13, employees loading mattress components, and removing mattress units to the mattress build tables were exposed to amputation hazards while working on or around the conveyor system in that no Emergency Stops are installed along the conveyor system.     b)  Line Load Conveyor System, on or about 3/4/13, employees loading mattress components, and removing mattress units to the mattress build tables were exposed to lacerations while untangling wire springs due to mis-placed and broken sensors that did not separate the units at a safe distance.    Among other methods, a feasible abatement method to correct this hazard is to comply with ASME B20.1-2009, Safety Standard for Conveyors and Related Equipment.    a) Section 5.11.4- Emergency Stops and Restarts  Conveyor controls shall be so arranged that, in case of emergency stop, manual reset or start at the location where the emergency stop was initiated shall be required for the conveyor(s) and associated equipment to resume operation. Before restarting a conveyor that has been stopped because of an emergency, an inspection of the conveyor shall be made and the cause of the stoppage determined. The starting device shall be locked or tagged out before any attempt is made to remove the cause of the stoppage, unless operation is necessary to determine the cause or to safely remove the stoppage. Refer to ANSI Z244.1- 1982, American National Standard for Personnel Protection - Lockout/Tagout of Energy Sources  Minimum Safety Requirements, and OSHA Standard Number 29 CFR 1910.147 "The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout /Tagout)    b) Section 5.2 Maintenance (b)  (b) Where lack of maintenance and service would cause a hazardous condition, the user shall establish a maintenance program to ensure that conveyor components are maintained in a condition that does not constitute a hazard to personnel.

Issued

May 30, 2013

Abate by

May 30, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,400 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.36(g)(2): Exit access(es) were not at least 28 inches (71.1 cm) wide at all points.    a) Mattress Building Conveyor Area; on or about 3/4/2013, employees in the "Mat Build" area did not have free and unobstructed access to an exit access route. The aisles were obstructed by plastic, foam and blocked by a pallet of cardboard.

Issued

May 30, 2013

Abate by

Jun 25, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,400 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.37(b)(4): Signs were not posted along the exit access indicating the direction of travel to the nearest exit and exit discharge when the direction of travel to the exit or exit discharge was not immediately apparent:    a) Mattress Building Conveyor Area; on or about 3/4/2013, employees in the "Mat Build" area, and throughout the plant were not able to identify the direction of travel to an exit discharge.

Issued

May 30, 2013

Abate by

Jun 18, 2013

Penalty

Initial $5,000 · Current $0 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):    a) Mattress Building Conveyor Area; on or about 3/4/2013, Affected employees in the "Mat Build" area and Authorized employees performing lock-out on the conveyor were exposed to hazards of amputations associated with the unexpected start-up of the roller conveyor system due to unclear procedures as listed on the "National Bedding Greene Hazardous Energy Control Procedures" dated 12/1/2010, in that procedures did not include:    -Specific location(s) and type(s) of individual energy sources to be isolated, in that the number and/or locations of the electrical disconnects to be isolated were not identified.      -Specific procedural steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing the conveyor to control hazardous energy.    -Specific procedural steps and locations for the placement, removal and transfer of lockout devices or tagout devices and the responsibility for them.    -Specific requirements for testing the conveyor to determine and verify the effectiveness of lockout devices, tagout devices, and other energy control measures.

Issued

May 30, 2013

Abate by

Jun 18, 2013

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $3,500 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) Mattress Building Conveyor Area; on or about 3/4/2013, employees in the "Mat Build" area were exposed to hazards of amputations associated with unguarded pinch points, snag points, in-running nip points at the crossover conveyor system.     b) Line Load Conveyor System, on or about 3/4/13, employees loading mattress components,  removing mattress units to the mattress build tables, and clearing jammed materials were exposed to hazards of in-running nip points snagging and pulling objects, hands, hair or clothing into the conveyor system.

Issued

May 30, 2013

Abate by

Jun 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $5,100 · Current $2,550 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(c)(4)(i): Unguarded projecting shaft end(s) did not present a smooth edge and end and projected more than one half the diameter of the shaft:    a) Side-by-side take-up conveyor belts, on or about 3/4/2013, There were 4 rotating projecting shaft end rollers on two different conveyors, totalling 8 on the outside, exposing employees to caught-in hazards from unguarded rotating end rollers with protruding set screws directly in line with the employees work stations. The other 8 projecting shaft ends were facing inward.  There were no guards on the 16 rotating projecting shaft ends.