OSHA Inspection: WILLHITE FOREST PRODUCTS INC.

Issued

2015-11-09 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-12-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4900.00 · Current $2450.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8110

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 equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level of 85 decibels measured on the A scale, or equivalently a dose of fifty percent:      On or about August 24, 2015 and times prior thereto, at the worksite located at or near 17916 Highway 16 in Saint Paul, Arkansas, the employer did not have an effective hearing conservation program for employees exposed to noises greater than 90 decibels over the work day. This condition exposed employees to noise hazards.

Issued

2015-11-09 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-11-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3500.00 · Current $1750.00 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:     At or about August 24, 2015 and times prior thereto, at the worksite located at or near 17916 Highway 16 in Saint Paul, Arkansas, the employer did not include machine specific isolation procedures as part of their lockout/ tagout program for the benefit of employees required to service and/or perform maintenance on equipment such as but not limited to the bandsaws, and Mill 1 and 2 saws. Failure to do so exposed employees to contact with rotating parts if the machine unexpectedly energized.

Issued

2015-11-09 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-11-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(i): Procedures were not developed, documented and utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees were engaged in activities covered by this section:  At or about August 24, 2015 and times prior thereto, at the worksite located at or near 17916 Highway 16 in Saint Paul, Arkansas, the employer did not ensure that employees utilized lockout/ tagout procedures in the following instances such as but not limited to  (a) in Mill 2, prior to clearing jams on the saws and/or walking beneath moving conveyors to clear lumber or perform cleaning tasks.  (b) in Mill 3, prior to changing saw blades, sprocket wheels, etc. on the bandsaws.

Issued

2015-11-09 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-11-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3500.00 · Current $1750.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(p)(1): Powered industrial truck(s) found to be in need of repair, defective, or in any way unsafe had not been  taken out of service until restored to safe operating condition(s):    At or about August 24, 2015 and times prior thereto, at the worksite located at or near 17916 Highway 16 in Saint Paul, Arkansas, the left side, plexi-glass window on the CAT 926E was observed shattered. This condition obstructed the operator's clear view to the outside surrounding areas and exposed employees to struck-by hazards.

Issued

2015-11-09 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-12-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3500.00 · Current $1750.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(q)(1): Any power-operated industrial truck not in safe operating condition was not taken out of service, and/or repairs were not made by authorized personnel:    At or about August 24, 2015 and times prior thereto, at the worksite located at or near 17916 Highway 16 in Saint Paul, Arkansas, employees were observed lowering the fork lift masts to the ground before dismounting the forklift. It was determined the forklift parking brakes did not work on the Hyundai 740 and the IT24 forklifts. This condition exposed employees to fall from height hazards.

Issued

2015-11-09 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-12-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2800.00 · Current $1400.00 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, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks:    At or about August 24, 2015 and times prior thereto, at the worksite located at or near 17916 Highway 16 in Saint Paul, Arkansas, employees were not protected from a rotating shaft that protruded 1.5 inches and was located near the chipper in Mill 2. This exposed employees to caught-by hazards.

Issued

2015-11-09 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-12-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4900.00 · Current $2450.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(f)(3): Sprocket wheels and chains which were seven feet or less above floors or platforms were not enclosed:    On or about August 24, 2015 and times prior thereto, at the worksite located at 17916 Highway 16 in Saint Paul, Arkansas, sprocket wheels and chains were observed to be unguarded and less than 7 feet above the floor. This condition exposed employees to nip-point hazards in the following instances:    Instance A: In Mill 2, the chain and sprockets located at the end of the "green machine" were not guarded.    Instance B: In Mill 3, the chain and sprockets on the band-saw were not guarded.

Issued

2015-11-09 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-11-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3500.00 · Current $1750.00 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.:    At or about August 24, 2015 and times prior thereto, at the worksite located at or near 17916 Highway 16 in Saint Paul, Arkansas, employees were observed using compressed air to clean sawdust off their clothes at the end of the work day. This exposed employees to skin abrasion hazards.

Issued

2015-11-09 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-11-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4200.00 · Current $2100.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.265(c)(4)(iv): Elevated platform(s), 4 feet or more from the floor level, were not provided with a standard railing:    At or about August 24, 2015 and times prior thereto, at the worksite located at or near 17916 Highway 16 in Saint Paul, Arkansas, employees were observed working on platforms without standard railings. Employees were exposed to fall from heights hazards in the following instances:    Instance A: The platform near an open section of a 4 foot high platform in Mill 2. The platform had a gap of 4 feet 6 inches that was unguarded.     Instance B: The platform in Mill 1 did not have a standard railing. Employees were observed standing on top of the bundles of wood stacked at the edge of the deck.

Issued

2015-11-09 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-12-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2800.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.265(c)(5)(ii): Stairways were not provided with a standard handrail on at least one side or on any open side:    At or about August 24, 2015 and times prior thereto, at the worksite located at or near 17916 Highway 16 in Saint Paul, Arkansas, the stairway with five rungs to the bandsaw in Mill 3 did not have a railing or standard handrail. This condition exposed employees to fall from heights hazards.

Issued

2015-11-09 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-11-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2100.00 · Current $1050.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.304(g)(5): The path to ground from circuits, equipment, and enclosures was not permanent, continuous, and effective:    At or about August 24, 2015 and times prior thereto, at the worksite located at or near 17916 Highway 16 in Saint Paul, Arkansas, the ground pin to the pedestal fan in Mill 2 was missing. This exposed employees to shock hazards.

Issued

2015-11-09 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-11-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(g)(1)(iii): Flexible cords and cables were used for purposes prohibited by subparagraphs (A) through (E) of this paragraph:   At or about August 24, 2015 and times prior thereto, at the worksite located at or near 17916 Highway 16 in Saint Paul, Arkansas, the extension cord wrapped around railing by the unguarded platform in Mill 2 was being used as permanent wiring to power a pedestal fan. This exposed employees to shock hazards.

Issued

2015-11-09 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-11-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

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:  At or about August 24, 2015 and times prior thereto, at the worksite located at or near 17916 Highway 16 in Saint Paul, Arkansas, an extension cord connected to a pedestal fan in Mill 2 had pulled loose from the casing on the end of the cord. The tension caused the wires and cables of the extension cord to be exposed. This condition exposed employees to shock hazards.

Issued

2015-11-09 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-12-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3500.00 · Current $1750.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(1): The employer did not have a material safety data sheet for each hazardous chemical in use:    On or about August 24, 2015 and times prior thereto, at the worksite located at or near 17916 Highway 16 in Saint Paul, Arkansas, the employer did not have a Material Safety Data Sheet or Safety Data Sheet on the types of sawdust generated. This exposed employees to inhalation hazards.

Issued

2015-11-09 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-12-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1): Employees were not provided effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment and whenever a new hazard that the employees had not been previously trained about was introduced into their work area:   On or about August 24, 2015 and times prior thereto, at the worksite located at or near 17916 Highway 16 in Saint Paul, Arkansas, the employer had not trained employees on the hazards and health effects of sawdust. This exposed employees to inhalation hazards.

Issued

2015-11-09 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-11-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $700.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7): Industrial trucks were not examined at least daily before being placed in service.    On or about August 24, 2015 and times prior thereto, at the worksite located at or near 17916 Highway 16 in Saint Paul, Arkansas, forklifts were not reviewed daily for defects or broken parts. At the time of inspection, forklifts had shattered plexi-glass panes and nonfunctioning brakes. This exposed employees to struck-by hazards and other hazards created by a malfunctioning forklift.