OSHA Inspection: LEVE AGRIMAN

Issued

Apr 8, 2013

Abate by

May 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $700 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(a)(9):     Every floor hole into which persons cannot accidentally walk (on account of fixed machinery, equipment, or walls) shall be protected by a cover that leaves no openings more than 1 inch wide. The cover shall be securely held in place to prevent tools or materials from falling through.    a.     On the second level there was a 24 inch by 24 inch floor hole which was used to run the vacuum hose through and used by employees to lower parts to the first level, was not protected by a cover to prevent employees from stepping into the hole thereby exposing employees to a trip/fall hazard.    b.      On the 3rd level of the south mill, there was a 13 inch by 13 inch floor hole which was not covered or protected from employees stepping into the hole there by exposing employees to a trip/fall hazard.

Issued

Apr 8, 2013

Abate by

Apr 26, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(c)(3):     Regardless of height, open-sided floors, walkways, platforms, or runways above or adjacent to dangerous equipment, pickling or galvanizing tanks, degreasing units, and similar hazards shall be guarded with a standard railing and toe board.    On the third level, there was a 89 inch by 89 inch opening over the belts and pulleys of the mixer on the second level thereby exposing employees to a 8 foot fall hazard.

Issued

Apr 8, 2013

Abate by

May 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,200 · Current $420 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(e)(1):     A standard railing shall consist of top rail, intermediate rail, and posts, and shall have a vertical height of 42 inches nominal from upper surface of top rail to floor, platform, runway, or ramp level. The top rail shall be smooth-surfaced throughout the length of the railing. The intermediate rail shall be approximately halfway between the top rail and the floor, platform, runway, or ramp. The ends of the rails shall not overhang the terminal posts except where such overhang does not constitute a projection hazard.    a.   In the basement of the mill where employees performed housekeeping and maintenance, the stairway to the basement did not have a stairway mid rail thereby exposing employees to trip/fall hazard.

Issued

Apr 8, 2013

Abate by

May 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,200 · Current $420 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(d)(1):     The employer shall assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). If such hazards are present, or likely to be present, the employer shall:    29 CFR 1910.132(d)(1)(i):     Select, and have each affected employee use, the types of PPE that will protect the affected employee from the hazards identified in the hazard assessment;    a.     In the grain elevator where work was performed throughout the facility, the employer did not perform a hazard assessment to determine the selection of personal protectiopn equipment thereby exposing employees to a contact hazard.

Issued

Apr 8, 2013

Abate by

May 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,200 · Current $420 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(i):     Procedures shall be developed, documented and utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees are engaged in the activities covered by this section.   Note: Exception: The employer need not document the required procedure for a particular machine or equipment, when all of the following elements exist: (1) The machine or equipment has no potential for stored or residual energy or reaccumulation of stored energy after shut down which could endanger employees; (2) the machine or equipment has a single energy source which can be readily identified and isolated; (3) the isolation and locking out of that energy source will completely deenergize and deactivate the machine or equipment; (4) the machine or equipment is isolated from that energy source and locked out during servicing or maintenance; (5) a single lockout device will achieve a locker-out condition; (6) the lockout device is under the exclusive control of the authorized employee performing the servicing or maintenance; (7) the servicing or maintenance does not create hazards for other employees; and (8) the employer, in utilizing this exception, has had no accidents involving the unexpected activation or reenergization of the machine or equipment during servicing or maintenance.    a.     At the site of the grain elevator where employees performed lockout/tagout or were affected by lockout/tagout, the employer did not develop a written program to inform the employees of the safe practices and procedures for locking out equipment thereby exposing employees to a contact hazard.

Issued

Apr 8, 2013

Abate by

May 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,200 · Current $420 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.157(g)(1):     Where the employer has provided portable fire extinguishers for employee use in the workplace, the employer shall also provide an educational program to familiarize employees with the general principles of fire extinguisher use and the hazards involved with incipient stage fire fighting.    a.     At the facility where fire extinguishers were provided for employees to extinguish small incipient stage fires, the employer did not provide fire extinguisher training thereby exposing employees to a fire hazard.

Issued

Apr 8, 2013

Abate by

Jun 14, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,200 · Current $420 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(1)(ii):     Prior to permitting an employee to operate a powered industrial truck (except for training purposes), the employer shall ensure that each operator has successfully completed the training required by this paragraph (l), except as permitted by paragraph (l)(5).    29 CFR 1910.178(l)(2)(i)(A):     Under the direct supervision of persons who have the knowledge, training, and experience to train operators and evaluate their competence; and    29 CFR 1910.178(l)(3)(i)(A):     Operating instructions, warnings, and precautions for the types of truck the operator will be authorized to operate;    a.     On the site where employees operated powered industrial trucks to move materials around the grain facility, the employer did not provide training on the powered industrial trucks including a classroom training, written test and obstacle course thereby exposing employees to a struck-by hazard.

Issued

Apr 8, 2013

Abate by

May 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $700 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(e)(1)(i):     Where both runs of horizontal belts are seven (7) feet or less from the floor level, the guard shall extend to at least fifteen (15) inches above the belt or to a standard height, except that where both runs of a horizontal belt are 42 inches or less from the floor, the belt shall be fully enclosed in accordance with paragraphs (m) and (o) of this section.    a.     On the second level of the south mill where employees work on the crimper, the employer did not provide guarding for the belt and pulley thereby exposing employees to a caught-in hazard.    b.      On the second floor of the south mill where employees work on the mixer, the employer did not provide guarding for the belt and pulley thereby exposing employees to a caught-in hazard.

Issued

Apr 8, 2013

Abate by

May 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,200 · Current $420 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.272(d):     Emergency action plan. The employer shall develop and implement an emergency action plan meeting the requirements contained in 29 CFR 1910.38.    a.     On the site where employees worked around grain bins and grain elevators, the employer did not develop a emergency action plan to determine where employees are to meet and how emergency responders are to notified for the emergency location thereby exposing employees to a fire/explosion hazard.

Issued

Apr 8, 2013

Abate by

May 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,200 · Current $420 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.272(e)(1):     The employer shall provide training to employees at least annually and when changes in job assignment will expose them to new hazards. Current employees, and new employees prior to starting work, shall be trained in at least the following:    29 CFR 1910.272(e)(1)(ii):     Specific procedures and safety practices applicable to their job tasks including but not limited to, cleaning procedures for grinding equipment, clearing procedures for choked legs, housekeeping procedures, hot work procedures, preventive maintenance procedures and lock-out/tag-out procedures.    a.     On the site where employees were exposed to the hazards of grain dust and combustible dust, the employer did not provide training on the hazards of combustible dust, working in confined spaces, hot work permits or lock-out/tag out procedures thereby exposing employees to a fire/explosion hazard.

Issued

Apr 8, 2013

Abate by

May 11, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $700 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(b)(1):     Examination. Electric equipment shall be free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees. Safety of equipment shall be determined using the following considerations:    29 CFR 1910.303(b)(1)(ii):     Mechanical strength and durability, including, for parts designed to enclose and protect other equipment, the adequacy of the protection thus provided;    a.     In the dryer area where the corn is placed in a dryer before being put into the grain bins had an electrical panel which was not securely closed and had open energized electrical exposed to the element thereby exposing employees to a contact hazard.

Issued

Apr 8, 2013

Abate by

Apr 26, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $560 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(b)(1)(ii):     Unused openings in cabinets, boxes, and fittings shall be effectively closed.    a.     On the second level of the mill, there was a main energized electrical disconnect in the electrical room which had a unused opening on the top of the electrical box thereby exposing employees to a contact hazard.    b.      In the outside dryer area where the disconnect was located for the dryer unit, there was an unused opening in the side of the energized electrical panel thereby exposing employees to a contact hazard.

Issued

Apr 8, 2013

Abate by

Apr 26, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,200 · Current $420 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(b)(3)(ii):     Boxes shall be closed by suitable covers securely fastened in place.  Note to paragraph (b)(3)(ii) of this section: Underground box covers that weigh over 45.4 kg (100 lbs) meet this requirement.    a.     At the outside dryer area, there were two energized electric outlet boxes which did not have covers securly fastened over the front thereby exposing employees to a contact hazard.

Issued

Apr 8, 2013

Abate by

Apr 26, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,200 · Current $420 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(g)(2)(iii):     Flexible cords and cables shall be connected to devices and fittings so that strain relief is provided that will prevent pull from being directly transmitted to joints or terminal screws.    a.     In the south mill where a vaccuum was used to clean up grain dust, the electrical cord on top of the vaccuum used to supply power  to the equipment was pulled from the plug where strain relief was not provided thereby exposing employees to a contact hazard.