OSHA Inspection: PEARSON'S INC.

Issued

2013-09-05 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-10-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1200.00 · Current $600.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.37(b)(2): Each exit was not clearly visible and marked by a sign reading "Exit":     The employer failed to protect employees from potential emergency evacuation hazards associated with unmarked emergency exits.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 39258 Hwy 2, Thedford, NE 69166, where the employer has and exit door identified under the emergency exit plan as a primary exit route but is not marked with a visible Exit sign.

Issued

2013-09-05 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-10-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1600.00 · Current $800.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1): A written respiratory protection program that included the provisions in 29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1)(i) - (ix) with worksite specific procedures was not established and implemented for required respirator use:     The employer failed to protect employees from potential respiratory hazards associated with employees wearing and using respirators without the benefit of the company having developed and implemented a written respiratory program.   This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 39258 Hwy 2, Thedford, NE 69166, where the employer has employees wearing half mask respirators while they perform various duties throughout the facility without having developed and implemented a respiratory program that outlines the parameters of use and methods of compliance exposes employees to increased risk of illness.  Instances of use include but are not limited to:   i.    Employees in the paint booth wearing a half mask respirator with safety glasses.   ii.    Employees grinding and sanding down excess material from the product prior to and after welding of components has been performed.   iii.   Employees grinding and sanding down excess material from the product prior to and after welding of components has been performed.

Issued

2013-09-05 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-10-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(2)(i): Respirator users were not provided with the information contained in Appendix D to 29 CFR 1910.134 when the employer determined that any voluntary respirator use was permissible:     The employer failed to protect employees from potential respiratory hazards associated with employees voluntary wearing and using respirators without the benefit of the company having briefed the employees in accordance with Appendix D of this subpart.   This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 39258 Hwy 2, Thedford, NE 69166, where the employer has employees wearing 3M N95 dust masks as means of protection against nuisance dust without having been briefed on the potential hazards associated with wearing tight fitting respirators.

Issued

2013-09-05 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-10-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1): The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace:     The employer failed to protect employees from potential respiratory hazards associated with employees wearing and using respirators without having been evaluated by a medical professional prior to use.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 39258 Hwy 2, Thedford, NE 69166, where the employer has employees wearing half mask respirators while they perform various duties throughout the facility without having the employees evaluated by a medical professional to identify any potential risk hazards or other pre-existing medical condition that may cause them serious harm during injury.

Issued

2013-09-05 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-10-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(1): The employer did not ensure that employee(s) required to use a tight-fitting facepiece respirator passed the appropriate qualitative fit test (QLFT) or quantitative fit test (QNFT):     The employer failed to protect employees from potential respiratory hazards associated with employees wearing and using respirators without having passed a quantitative fit test prior to use.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 39258 Hwy 2, Thedford, NE 69166, where the employer has employees wearing half mask respirators while they perform various duties throughout the facility without having the employees fit tested to ensure the respirator fits properly and eliminates the potential hazards.

Issued

2013-09-05 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-10-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2800.00 · Current $1400.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(1): The employer did not establish a program consisting of an energy control procedure, employee training and periodic inspections to ensure that before any employee performed any servicing or maintenance on a machine or equipment where the unexpected energing, startup or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, the machine or equipment shall be isolated from the energy source and rendered inoperative:    The employer failed to protect employees from potential electrical, caught between and amputation hazards associated with performing maintenance on equipment that requires the application of a lock or tag to isolate the hazardous stored energy.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 39258 Hwy 2, Thedford, NE 69166, where the employer has maintenance employees making repairs to the Universal Ironworkers Model KBL without having developed and implemented a written lockout and tag out program.

Issued

2013-09-05 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-10-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.151(c): Where employees were exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body were not provided within the work area for immediate emergency use:    The employer failed to protect employees from potential eye hazards associated with inadequate and blocked eye wash facilities.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 39258 Hwy 2, Thedford, NE 69166, where the employer has blocked the accessibility of the eye wash facility located adjacent to the paint booth to the extent that it has not been tested in over a year leaving the eye wash dirty and unsuitable for use even in the event of an emergency.

Issued

2013-09-05 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-10-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2800.00 · Current $1400.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(a)(4): Modifications and additions which affect capacity and safe operation of powered industrial truck were performed by the employer without the manufacturer's prior written approval:    The employer failed to protect employees from potential struck by hazards associated with operating a forklift with an internally fabricated attachment that is not approved by the manufacturer for use.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 39258 Hwy 2, Thedford, NE 69166, where the employer has employees operating a Clark forklift used to lift up the cattle chutes after assembly by having an internally fabricated attachment on the forklift and never having had the attachment reviewed and approved by the manufacturer of the forklift; thus creating the potential for a substandard attachment to fail during use and injure an employee.

Issued

2013-09-05 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-10-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(a)(6): The employer did not ensure that all nameplates and markings were in place:    The employer is failing to ensure that powered industrial trucks utilized throughout the facility have legible data plates.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 39258 Hwy 2, Thedford, NE 69166, where the employer has employees operating a Clark forklift used to lift up the cattle chutes after assembly without having a legible data plate on the forklift to provide necessary weight restrictions for that piece of equipment creating the potential for operators to overload the lift and cause it to tip over.

Issued

2013-09-05 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-10-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(3)(i)(M):    Powered industrial truck operators shall receive initial training in the following topics to include but not limited to operating instructions, warnings, or precautions listed in the operators manual for the types of vehicle that the employee is being trained to operate:   The employer failed to protect employees from potential struck by hazards associated with operating a forklift that is missing a seat belt.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 39258 Hwy 2, Thedford, NE 69166, where the employer has employees operating a Clark forklift used to lift up the cattle chutes after assembly and the fork lift is missing a seat belt thus exposing the employee to potential additional injuries in the event of an accident.

Issued

2013-09-05 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-10-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2800.00 · Current $1400.00 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:     The employer failed to protect employees from potential amputation hazards associated with operating a lathe without adequate guarding.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 39258 Hwy 2, Thedford, NE 69166, where the employer has employees operating the K. Martin Machine Tool Works lathe Model KM200, serial number 9124 in the fabrication of repair parts to equipment and assembly parts for the product without having a guard over the point of operation area of the machine during use.

Issued

2013-09-05 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-10-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $400.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1904.29(a):    A Log of all Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses (OSHA Form 300), and/or the Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, (OSHA Form 300-A), and/or the Injury and Illness Incident Report (OSHA Form 301) or equivalent forms were not kept by the establishment:   The employer failed to maintain a summary of work related injuries as required in this subpart.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 39258 Hwy 2, Thedford, NE 69166, where the employer has more than 10 employees corporate wide and failed to maintain the annual summary forms for 2010, 2011 and 2013 as well as a current running 300 log for 2013.

Issued

2013-09-05 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-10-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(6): The employer did not certify that each operator has been trained and evaluated as required by this paragraph (l):     The employer is failing to certify employees whom operate powered industrial trucks as outlined in this subpart.  This was most recently evident during the inspection of the facility located at 39258 Hwy 2, Thedford, NE 69166, where the employer has employees operating a Clark forklift used to lift up the cattle chutes after assembly and the employer has no certification documentation of their training and experience.