OSHA Inspection: ADVANCE ENGINEERING COMPANY

Issued

Jul 18, 2013

Abate by

Sep 13, 2013

Penalty

Initial $4,500 · Current $2,475 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) Advance Engineering Company, Northwood, Ohio:  On or about March 14, 2013, the employer did not ensure that employees utilized energy control procedures while performing servicing and maintenance activities on the #4202 OTC Daihen Inc. manufactured arc welding station.  Employees entered the robotic cell to engage in servicing and maintenance activities such as, but not limited to unjamming the welding nozzle and changing the welding nozzle and tip.  Employees were exposed to struck-by hazards from the robotic arm while inside of the robotic cell.

Issued

Jul 18, 2013

Abate by

Sep 13, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(d)(2): The machine or equipment was not turned off or shut down using the procedures established for the machine or equipment:    a) Advance Engineering Company, Northwood, Ohio:  On or about March 14, 2013, the employer did not ensure that the established procedures for the application of energy control were followed in sequence, exposing employees who were engaged in servicing and maintenance activities, such as but not limited to clearing jams and changing welding nozzles and tips.  Employees were exposed to a potential for unexpected start-up, energization and/or release of stored energy which could result in laceration, crushing and struck-by hazards.

Issued

Jul 18, 2013

Abate by

Aug 6, 2013

Penalty

Initial $4,500 · Current $2,475 Reduced

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:    a) Advance Engineering Company, Northwood, Ohio:  On or about March 14, 2013, the employer did not conduct adequate periodic inspections of the company's energy control procedure to ensure that the requirements of the lockout/tagout standard were met.  The employer's hazardous energy control program contained multiple deficiencies, such as, but not limited to employees not locking out machines or equipment prior to servicing and maintenance activities and machine specific procedures that did not include steps to verify that hazard energy sources were isolated.  Employees were exposed to struck-by hazards while performing servicing and maintenance activities, such as unjamming the welding nozzle and changing the welding nozzle and weld tip on the #4202 OTC Daihen Inc. manufactured arc welding station.

Issued

Jul 18, 2013

Abate by

Sep 13, 2013

Penalty

Initial $4,500 · Current $2,475 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(i): The employer did not provide training to ensure that the purpose and function of the energy control program are understood by employees and that the knowledge and skills required for the safe application, usage, and removal of the energy controls are acquired by employees:    a) Advance Engineering Company, Northwood, Ohio:  On or about March 14, 2013, the employer failed to train employees to isolate energy sources and render equipment inoperative before performing maintenance and servicing work where unexpected startup and energy releases exposed employees to struck-by hazards from the robotic arm while inside of the robotic cell.  Employees were exposed while engaged in activities such as, but not limited to unjamming the welding nozzle and changing the welding nozzle and tip.

Issued

Jul 18, 2013

Abate by

Aug 6, 2013

Penalty

Initial $4,500 · Current $2,475 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) Advance Engineering Company, Northwood, Ohio:  On or about March 12, 2013, the employer did not ensure that the rotating cutting blade was properly guarded on the Wells Manufacturing Corp. manufactured (Serial #16260) horizontal band saw, in that two unused portions of the blade on the operator's side were unguarded, exposing employees to amputation hazards.    b) Advance Engineering Company, Northwood, Ohio:  On or about March 14, 2013, the employer did not ensure that employees working around the #4292 automated robotic welding cell were protected flying sparks, exposing them to burn hazards.    c) Advance Engineering Company, Northwood, Ohio:  On or about March 13, 2013, the employer did not ensure that employees entering the cell of the OTC #4202 robotic welder to perform housekeeping activities were protected from struck-by hazards.  Employees who entered the cell through an interlocked access door for sweeping and cleaning purposes did not have a means to prevent the door from closing behind them.  Employees were exposed to struck-by hazards in the event that the machine would start while they were inside of the cell.

Issued

Jul 18, 2013

Penalty

Initial $4,500 · Current $2,475 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.215(b)(9): The distance between the abrasive wheel periphery(s) and the adjustable tongue or the end of the safety guard peripheral member at the top exceeded one fourth inch:    a) Advance Engineering Company, Northwood, Ohio:  On or about March 12, 2013, the employer did not ensure that the tongue guard on an abrasive wheel machine was adjusted to the constantly decreasing diameter of the wheel.  The Dayton Industrial Grinder (Model 1853Q), located in the Tool and Die area, exposed employees to struck-by hazards as it was not equipped with a tongue guard adjusted to ¼ inch above the wheel surface.