OSHA Inspection: STAUFFER LAWN & LANDSCAPE, LLC

Issued

Apr 3, 2015

Abate by

May 20, 2015

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $1,120 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to flying plastic projectile hazards due to possible mechanical failure of the plastic, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), piping system used to transport compress air:  Employees engaged in landscaping activities in the shop were exposed to the hazards of flying shrapnel from an exploding plastic PVC pipe.  Schedule 40 PVC pipe was used to transport compressed air in the shop area of the facility.  Steel piping ran from the air compressor across the wall, then PVC piping up to the ceiling, across and down beside the garage door. The compressed air was at an operating pressure of approximately 100 pounds per square inch (PSI).   Among other methods, the following are feasible and acceptable methods to correct the hazard:      1.  Replace the current PVC compressed air piping system with materials suitable for the maximum air pressure as recommended by the Plastic Pipe Institute, such as ABS or metal.      2.  Follow the American National Standards Institute/American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ANSI/ASME) B31.1-2007, Power Piping, as applicable.

Issued

Apr 3, 2015

Abate by

May 20, 2015

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $1,120 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(b)(7)(i): Unused openings in boxes, raceways, auxiliary gutters, cabinets, equipment cases, or housings were not effectively closed to afford protection substantially equivalent to the wall of the equipment.   Employees engaged in equipment maintenance activities in the shop were exposed to electrical shock and fire hazards in that an unused opening in the electrical panel box, located on the southwest wall of the shop was not covered.

Issued

Apr 3, 2015

Abate by

May 20, 2015

Penalty

Initial $1,200 · Current $840 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(f)(2): Each service, feeder, and branch circuit, at its disconnecting means or overcurrent device, was not legibly marked to indicate its purpose, nor located and arranged so the purpose was evident:  Employees engaged in equipment maintenance activities in the shop were exposed to electrical shock and fire hazards in that circuit breakers were not marked or labeled in the electrical panel box, located on the southwest wall of the shop.

Issued

Apr 3, 2015

Abate by

May 20, 2015

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $1,120 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(g)(2)(iii): Flexible cords were not connected to devices and fittings so that tension would not be transmitted to joints or terminal screws:  Employees engaged in welding activities in the shop area were exposed to an electrical shock hazard in that the flexible cord supplying power to the Miller, Millermatic 212 electric welder, was not equipped with strain relief. The conductors on both ends of the extension cord providing 220 VAC power had pulled free from the plug.