OSHA Inspection: COOLING TOWERS SYSTEMS, INC

Issued

Oct 23, 2013

Abate by

Oct 31, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,640 · Current $1,320 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(a)(8): Every floor hole into which persons can accidentally walk was not guarded.  On or about 05/14/2013 at 196 Lower Cherry Street, Macon, GA:  Employees were exposed to a falling/tripping hazard(s):  a) In warehouse #3, the floor was rotting and there were holes in the floor that were not covered.  b) In the office near the water heater, there was a hole in the floor that was covered with carpet.

Issued

Oct 23, 2013

Abate by

Oct 25, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,200 · Current $1,100 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.24(b): Fixed stairs were not provided for access from one structure level to another where operations necessitated regular travel between levels, and for access to operating platforms at any equipment which requires attention routinely during operations:  On or about 05/15/2013 at 196 Lower Cherry Street, Macon, GA: Employees were exposed to a fall hazard, while retrieving items located in the trailers. The employer failed to provide fixed stairs for employees to access the storage trailer.

Issued

Oct 23, 2013

Abate by

Oct 31, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.25(d)(2)(xii): Tops of the ordinary types of stepladders were used as steps.  On or about 5/14/2013 at 164 Lower Cherry Street, Macon, GA: Employees using the top step of a Class III stepladder were exposed to a fall hazard of 4 feet 1inch to the lower level. The employees used the stepladder to retrieve items from an open sided trailer.

Issued

Oct 23, 2013

Abate by

Oct 31, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,640 · Current $1,320 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.26(c)(2)(vii): Ladders having defects were not taken out of service or set for repair by the maintenance department or the manufacturer.  On or about 05/14/2013 at 196 Lower Cherry Street, Macon, GA: An employee was using a Davidson, 6-foot portable metal ladder to make repairs in warehouse #3 that  was not taken out of service when the leg was bent.

Issued

Oct 23, 2013

Abate by

Oct 31, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,760 · Current $880 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.37(a)(3): Exit route(s) were not kept free and unobstructed:  On or about 05/14/2013 at 196 Lower Cherry Street, Macon, GA: An exit in warehouse #3 was blocked by a forklift. Employees were exposed to a smoke and fire hazard.

Issued

Oct 23, 2013

Abate by

Nov 15, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,640 · Current $1,320 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 energizing, 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.   On or about 05/14/2013 at 196 Lower Cherry Street, Macon, GA: An employee changing brakes on a truck was exposed to as truck-by/crushing hazard when the employer did not develop a program consisting of energy control procedures for the unexpected energizing, startup, or release of stored energy that could occur and cause injury to the employee.

Issued

Oct 23, 2013

Abate by

Oct 31, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.244(a)(2)(iii): Loads were not cribbed, blocked or otherwise secured immediately after being raised with a jack:      On or about 05/14/2013 at 196 Lower Cherry Street, Macon, GA: While changing the brakes on a Dodge truck, the cribbing used was not secure.

Issued

Oct 23, 2013

Abate by

Oct 25, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,320 · Current $660 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.157(c)(1): Portable fire extinguishers were not mounted, located and identified so that they were readily accessible without subjecting the employees to injuries.   On or about 05/09/ 2013 at 196 Lower Cherry Street, Macon, GA: Employees are exposed to a fire hazard when the fire extinguishers were not mounted in such a way that they could be easily located in time of a fire.   a.) In the shed, the fire extinguisher was on the floor.  b.) In warehouse #1, the fire extinguisher is blocked by three- 5-gallon buckets of white roofing coating.  c.) In warehouse#2, the fire extinguisher was on the floor.

Issued

Oct 23, 2013

Abate by

Oct 25, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.157(c)(4): Portable fire extinguishers were not maintained in a fully charged and operable condition:   On or about 05/09/2013 at 196 Lower Cherry Street, Macon, GA: Fire extinguishers had been discharged and not serviced. The employees were exposed to smoke inhalation and fire hazard.    a.) In the shed, the fire extinguisher had been discharged.  b.) In warehouse #2, the fire extinguisher had been discharged.

Issued

Oct 23, 2013

Abate by

Oct 31, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.157(g)(1): An educational program was not provided for all employees to familiarize them with the general principles of fire extinguisher use and the hazards involved with incipient stage firefighting  On or about 05/14/2013 at 196 Lower Cherry Street, Macon, GA: Where employees are required to handle toluene, acetone, and MEK, all highly flammable chemicals and they work around combustible materials, the employer did not train the employees to fight incipient stage fires.

Issued

Oct 23, 2013

Abate by

Oct 31, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,760 · Current $880 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.242(b): Compressed air used for cleaning purposes was not reduced to less than 30 p.s.i.  On or about 05/14/2013 at 196 Lower Cherry Street, Macon, GA: In warehouse #2 compressed air used to clean off surfaces registered 100 p.s.i. The nozzles provided did not reduce the air pressure to less than 30 p.s.i.

Issued

Oct 23, 2013

Abate by

Oct 25, 2013

Penalty

Initial $2,200 · Current $1,100 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(b)(1): Electrical equipment was not free from recognized hazards that were likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.  On or about 05/14/2013 at 196 Lower Cherry Street, Macon, GA: Employees were exposed to an electrical hazard in warehouse #1. The receptacle on the pole had a broken outlet and showed signs of arcing.

Issued

Oct 23, 2013

Abate by

Oct 25, 2013

Penalty

Initial $1,320 · Current $660 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(b)(1)(ii): Unused openings in boxes, cabinets, or fittings were not effectively closed.   On or about 05/14/2013 at 196 Lower Cherry Street, Macon, GA: Employees were exposed to electrical hazards in the following areas:   a) In warehouse #1, employees testing motors are exposed to an electrical hazard when knockouts were missing on the sides and bottom of a 220/440/3-phase disconnect box.   b) Next to the compressor behind warehouse #1, where the conduit was removed from the 240 volt disconnect switch, the opening was not closed.   c) There was an unused opening in the 220/440/3-phase junction box leading to the compressor motor that was not closed.   d) In warehouse #3, the two gang light switch rated 120 volts was missing a light switch, leaving an opening in the cover.

Issued

Oct 23, 2013

Abate by

Oct 31, 2013

Penalty

Initial $3,520 · Current $1,760 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(d)(1): Pulley(s) with parts seven feet or less from the floor or work platform were not guarded in accordance with the requirements specified in 29 CFR1910.219(m) and (o).   On or about 05/14/2013 at 196 Lower Cherry Street, Macon, GA: Employees are exposed to a struck-by hazard while operating a Kellogg-American air compressor located behind warehouse #2. The employer failed to ensure that an exposed pulley on the air compressor was guarded.    The Cooling Tower Systems. Inc. was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 1910.219(d)(1), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 439052, citation number 1, item number 7a, and was affirmed as a final order on 10/03/2012, with respect to a workplace located at 196 Lower Cherry Street, Macon, GA.

Issued

Oct 23, 2013

Abate by

Oct 31, 2013

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(e)(1)(i): Horizontal belts which had both runs 42 inches or less from the floor level were not fully enclosed by guards conforming to requirements specified in 29 CFR 1910.219(m) and (o).   On or about 05/14/2013 at 196 Lower Cherry Street, Macon, GA: Employees are exposed to a struck-by hazard while operating a Kellogg-American air compressor located behind warehouse #2. The employer failed to ensure that an exposed belt on the air compressor was guarded.    The Cooling Tower Systems. Inc. was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 1910.219(e)(1), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 439052, citation number 1, item number 7b, and was affirmed as a final order on 10/03/2012, with respect to a workplace located at 196 Lower Cherry Street, Macon, GA.