OSHA Inspection: SILVER BEAM, INC.

Issued

2014-07-16 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1200.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(a)(2): Ladderway floor opening(s) or platform(s) were not guarded by a standard railing with standard toeboard(s) on all exposed sides (except at the entrance to opening) with the passage through the railing either provided with a swinging gate or so offset that a person could not walk directly into the opening:  a) Upper platform in Distillery Building D-3, where employees were using fixed ladders to access platforms and distillation process equipment, access openings for ladders were not guarded, exposing employees to the hazards of falling approximately 18 feet to the concrete floor below.

Issued

2014-07-16 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.27(c)(4): The distance from the centerline of rungs, cleats, or steps to the nearest permanent object in back of fixed ladder(s) was less than 7 inches:  Distillery Building D-3, where employees were using fixed ladders to access the middle and upper platforms while performing maintenance, repairs and installation of fixtures and equipment, only a 3-inch clearance was provided between the center line of rungs and platform structural components behind ladders, exposing employees to the hazards of falling as much as 18 feet to the concrete floor below.

Issued

2014-07-16 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.27(d)(3): The side rails of through or side-step ladder extensions did not extend 3 1/2 feet above parapets and landings:  Distillery Building D-3, where employees were using a through ladder to access the south end of the upper platform, the left side rail of the ladder extended only 24 inches above the landing and the top rail of a guardrail extended across the ladder extension, exposing employees to the hazards of falling approximately 18 feet to the concrete floor below.

Issued

2014-07-16 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-08-18 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1200.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(e)(1): The intermediate rail was not approximately halfway between the top rail and the floor, platform, runway, or ramp:  Upper platform in Distillery Building D-3, where employees were performing maintenance, repairs and installation of fixtures and equipment, the platform was not guarded with standard railings (or equivalent) in that intermediate rail heights ranged from only 16 3/8 inches to 17.5 inches above the platform, exposing employees to the hazards of falling through openings of at least 24 inches in the guardrail onto tanks or the concrete floor approximately 18 feet below.

Issued

2014-07-16 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-08-18 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(e)(3)(ii): For pipe railings, posts and top and intermediate railings were not at least 1 1/2 inches nominal diameter with posts spaced not more than 8 feet on centers:  Upper platform in Distillery Building D-3, where employees were using the platform to access tanks, water pipes, valves and the like while maintaining, repairing and installing equipment and fixtures, posts in guardrails were spaced at distances more than 8 feet apart, exposing employees to the hazards of falling onto tanks or to the concrete floor approximately 18 feet below.

Issued

2014-07-16 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1200.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1060

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.252(a)(2)(vi)(C): Cutting or welding was permitted in the presence of explosive atmospheres (mixtures of flammable gases, vapors, liquids, or dusts with air), or explosive atmospheres that may develop inside uncleaned or improperly prepared tanks or equipment which had previously contained such materials, or that may develop in areas with an accumulation of combustible dusts:  In Distillery Building D-3, on or about February 1, 2014, where distillation tanks were actively processing highly flammable 190-proof ethanol, an explosion occurred while an employee was using an arc welder on a platform above a process tank with a loose fitting manhole cover containing at least 1500 gallons of 170-proof ethanol.

Issued

2014-07-16 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(a)(8): Every floor hole into which persons can accidentally walk was not guarded:  On the upper platform in Distillery Building D-3, where employees were using the platform to access tanks, water pipes, valves and the like while maintaining, repairing and installing equipment, there was an open floor hole measuring 10 3/4 inches across by 7 3/4 inches deep (to the carbon filter stack below), exposing employees to the hazards of tripping and falling into the hole.   Abatement Note: The cover shall be securely held in place to prevent tools or materials from falling through.