OSHA Inspection: HOUSTON GEAR USA, INC.

Issued

2015-01-02 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-08-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1001.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.95(c)(1): The employer did not administer a continuing, effective hearing conservation program as described in 29 CFR 1910.9(c) through (o) whenever employee noise exposures equaled or exceeded an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level of 85 decibels measured on the A scale, or equivalently a dose of fifty percent:    a) At the facility, where a hearing conservation program had not been established for an employee operating a Mori Seiki SL-15, number 1804 CNC machine.  An employee was exposed to 104% of the noise dose which is equivalent to approximately 90.2 dBA.  Personal noise sampling was conducted for 475 minutes on October 21, 2014 during one shift.  Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled 5 minutes.

Issued

2015-01-02 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-02-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2400.00 · Current $1200.00 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, reciprocating parts, or rotating parts:    a) At the facility, where the unused portion of the Hem Saw horizontal band saw was unguarded which exposed employees to rotating parts.    b) At the facility, where the chuck on the Barber Colman lathe was not guarded which exposed employees to rotating parts.    c) At the facility, where the chuck on the vertical lathe was not guarded which exposed employees to rotating parts.    d) At the facility, where the rotating parts in the Mori Seiki SL-15 CNC machine, serial number SL-15 No.1804 were not guarded.  The door interlock was not operational.    e) At the facility, where the rotating parts in the Mori Seiki SL-150 CNC machine, serial number SL150-739 were not guarded.  The door interlock was not operational.

Issued

2015-01-02 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-02-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2400.00 · Current $1200.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(5): Fan blade guard(s) were not provided where the periphery of the blades was less than seven feet from the floor or working level:     a) At the facility, where the fan blades in the sharper gear machine area were not guarded.

Issued

2015-01-02 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-02-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1200.00 · Current $600.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.215(a)(2): Abrasive wheel(s) used on grinding machinery were not provided with safety guard(s) which covered the spindle end, nut, flange projections:    a) At the facility, where the Baldor pedestal grinder, serial number F1290, was missing the side guard.

Issued

2015-01-02 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-02-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.215(a)(4): Grinding machinery was not used with work rest(s) to support offhand grinding work:  a) At the facility, where the Baldor pedestal grinder, serial number F1290, was missing the work rest.

Issued

2015-01-02 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-02-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2400.00 · Current $1200.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(c)(2)(i): All exposed part(s) of horizontal shafting seven (7) feet or less from floor or working platform were not protected by stationary casing(s) enclosing shafting completely or by trough(s) enclosing sides and top or sides and bottom of shafting:    a) At the facility, where the rotating shafts on the sharper gear machines were not guarded.    b) At the facility, where the rotating shafts on the fellows machines were not guarded.

Issued

2015-01-02 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-02-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2400.00 · Current $1200.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(g)(1): Sufficient access and working space was not provided and maintained about all electric equipment (operating at 600 volts, nominal, or less to ground) to permit ready and safe operation and maintenance of such equipment:    a) In the Quality Area of the facility, where there was not sufficient space around the Square D and FPE electrical panels.  The employer stored a compressor, a milling machine, and compressed gas cylinders directly in front of the electrical panels.

Issued

2015-01-02 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-02-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1200.00 · Current $600.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): The employer did not develop, implement, and/or maintain at the workplace a written hazard communication program which describes how the criteria specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) will be met:    a) At the facility, where the employer had not developed a hazard communication program at the facility.  The employees use chemicals such as, but not limited to propane, acetylene, oxygen, and Chemcut CF 150 P throughout the facility.

Issued

2015-01-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1200.00 · Current $600.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(8): The employer did not maintain copies of the required safety data sheets (SDSs) for each hazardous chemical in the workplace:    a) At the facility, where the employer did not maintain safety data sheets for chemicals such as, but not limited to propane, acetylene, oxygen, and Chemcut CF 150 P.