OSHA Inspection: HELENA CHEMICAL COMPANY

Issued

Dec 16, 2014

Abate by

Feb 6, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,250 · Current $2,975 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(d): Under the permit space program required by paragraph (c)(4) of this section, the employer did not ensure that the requirements of (d)(1) through (d)(14) were met:   (a)  The employer failed to evaluate the hazards of the permit spaces such as but not limited to:  Meyers dryer.   (b)  The employer failed to provide testing and monitoring equipment necessary to test conditions prior to the entry of the permit required confined spaces.   (c)  The employer failed to review the permit space program using the canceled permits within 1 year after each entry and revise the program as necessary.

Issued

Dec 16, 2014

Abate by

Feb 6, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,250 · Current $2,975 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(e)(1): Before entry was authorized, the employer did not document the completion of measures required by 29 CFR 1910.146(d)(3) by preparing an entry permit:  (a) On or about August 28, 2014; a permit was not filled out prior to employee(s) entering the Meyer Dryer to perform cleaning activities.

Issued

Dec 16, 2014

Abate by

Jan 15, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,250 · Current $2,975 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(d)(1): Pulley(s) with part(s) seven feet or less from the floor or work platform were not guarded in accordance with the requirements specified in 29 CFR 1910.219(m) and (o):  (a)  The soybeans bin, located on the south west end of the bins, had an unguarded pulley from the motor of the load out auger.  This exposed employees to in-running nip points.  (b)  The corn bin, located in the middle of the large bins, had an unguarded pulley from the motor of the discharge auger for corn leading to the elevator leg.  This exposed employees to in-running nip points.  (c)  The wet bin, located on the north east end of the bins, had an unguarded pulley from the motor of the discharge auger for the wet bin leading to elevator leg.  This exposed employees to in-running nip points.  (d)  The wheat bin, located next to the corn bin and wet bin, had an unguarded pulley from the motor of the discharge auger for the wheat bin leaving to the elevator leg.  This exposed employees to in-running nip points.  (e)  The elevator leg used for loading rail, by the rail road tracks, had an unguarded pulley for the motor of the elevator leg used to load soybeans.  This exposed employees to in-running nip points.

Issued

Dec 16, 2014

Abate by

Jan 15, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(e)(3)(i): Vertical or inclined belt(s) were not enclosed by guard(s) conforming to the requirements specified at 29 CFR 1910.219(m) and (o):    (a)  The soybeans bin, located on the south west end of the bins, had an unguarded vertical belt(s) from the motor of the load out auger.  This exposed employees to in-running nip points.   (b)  The corn bin, located in the middle of the large bins, had an unguarded vertical belt(s) from the motor of the discharge auger for corn leading to the elevator leg.  This exposed employees to in-running nip points.   (c)  The wet bin, located on the north east end of the bins, had an unguarded vertical belt(s) from the motor of the discharge auger for the wet bin leading to elevator leg.  This exposed employees to in-running nip points.   (d)  The wheat bin, located next to the corn bin and wet bin, had an unguarded vertical belt(s) from the motor of the discharge auger for the wheat bin leaving to the elevator leg.  This exposed employees to in-running nip points.   (e)  The elevator leg used for loading rail, by the rail road tracks, had an unguarded vertical belt(s) for the motor of the elevator leg used to load soybeans.  This exposed employees to in-running nip points.

Issued

Dec 16, 2014

Abate by

Feb 6, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,250 · Current $2,975 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.272(e)(1): The employer did not provide training to employees at least annually and when changes in job assignments would expose them to new hazards in the grain handling facilities:  (a)  The employer on an annual basis did not conduct training on topics such as but not limited to:  general safety precautions associated with the facility, recognition and preventive measure for the hazards related to dust accumulations and common ignition sources such as smoking, clearing procedures for choked legs, housekeeping procedures, and preventive maintenance procedures.

Issued

Dec 16, 2014

Abate by

Feb 6, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,250 · Current $2,975 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.272(g)(1)(i): The employer did not issue a permit for entering bins, silos or tanks in the grain handling facility before the employees entered the bins, silos, or tanks:   (a)  On or about October 1, 2014, cleaning operations were conducted in the wet bin to clean out wheat previously stored inside.  The employer did not fill out a permit prior to employee(s) entering the bin to ensure all hazards had been removed.    (b)  During the week of July 20, 2014, cleaning operations were conducted in the wheat bin to clean out wheat previously stored inside.  The employee had to energize and de-energize the bin sweep inside.  The employer did not fill out a permit prior to employee(s) entering the bin to ensure all hazards had been removed.

Issued

Dec 16, 2014

Abate by

Feb 6, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,250 · Current $2,975 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.272(m)(3): A certification record maintained of each inspection by the employer in the grain facility was not in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.272(m)(1):  (a)  The employer did not develop regularly scheduled inspections and certify when preventive maintenance had been conducted on equipment such as but not limited to:  grain storage bins, bin sweeps, conveyors, electrical motor and power transmission apparatus, bearings, and fans/aeration.

Issued

Dec 16, 2014

Abate by

Feb 6, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,250 · Current $2,975 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.272(m)(4): The employer did not implement procedures in the grain handling facility for the use of tags and locks which would prevent the inadvertent application of energy or motion to equipment being repaired, serviced, or adjusted, which could result in employee injury.  (a)   The employer failed to develop and document specific energy control procedures when employees were engaged in activities such as but not limited to maintenance, servicing, and cleaning on equipment such as but not limited to conveyors, augers, elevator legs, Meyer dryer, and receiving pit.

Issued

Dec 16, 2014

Abate by

Jan 15, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,250 · Current $2,975 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(g)(2)(i): Except as elsewhere required or permitted by Subpart S of Part 1910, live parts of electric equipment operating  at 50 volts or more were not guarded against accidental contact by use of approved cabinets or other forms of approved enclosures or by any of the means identified in paragraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D) of 29 CFR 1910.303(g)(2)(i):  (a)  By the Corn Bin, the discharge auger motor leading to the elevator leg had a damaged outer flexible cable which exposed the electrical wires inside exposing employees to electrical shock hazards.