OSHA Inspection: SOLO LABORATORIES, INC.

Issued

Feb 17, 2016

Abate by

Apr 4, 2016

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $1,470 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.106(e)(6)(i): Adequate precautions were not taken to prevent the ignition of flammable vapors from sources of ignition such as open flames; lightning; smoking; cutting and welding; hot surfaces; frictional heat; static, electrical, and mechanical sparks; spontaneous ignition, including heat-producing chemical reactions; and radiant heat:  (a) 417 Building, Material Prep - Employees dispensed UPACO neoprene adhesive, a Category 2 flammable liquid, from 5-gallon containers, and the employer did not have these containers grounded to prevent static from accumulating and sparking, exposing employees to a fire hazard, on or about September 11, 2015.  Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and state employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Feb 17, 2016

Abate by

Apr 4, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.106(e)(6)(ii): Category 1 or 2 flammable liquids, or Category 3 flammable liquids with a flashpoint below 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius), were dispensed into containers without the nozzle and container being electrically interconnected:  (a) 417 Building, Material Prep - Employees dispensed Category 2 flammable liquids, such as UPACO neoprene adhesive (flashpoint of 1 degree Fahrenheit), and UPACO cleaner/thinner (flashpoint of -20 degrees Fahrenheit), from 5-gallon containers with plastic openings into a small plastic use container, consisting of a former coffee container with the top removed, which prevented the bonding of the 5-gallon containers to the use container, exposing the employees to a fire hazard, on or about September 11, 2015.  Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and state employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Feb 17, 2016

Abate by

Mar 23, 2016

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $1,960 Reduced

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:  (a) SOLO Laboratories, Inc., 415 and 417 South Laurel Street, Kutztown, Pennsylvania - Employees performed servicing and maintenance activities, such as cleaning, changing belts, changing tooling, etc., on a variety of machinery and equipment, including, but not limited to, the CNC milling machines and the wood dust collector for the CNC milling machines, and the employer did not develop, document, and implement machine specific energy control procedures, exposing employees to hazards, including, but not limited to, getting caught-in and struck-by moving machine parts and getting burned from a combustible dust fire, on or about September 11, 2015.  Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and state employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Feb 17, 2016

Abate by

Mar 23, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(8): Lockout or tagout was not performed only by the authorized employees who are performing the servicing or maintenance:  (a) SOLO Laboratories, Inc., 415 and 417 South Laurel Street, Kutztown, Pennsylvania - When employees performed servicing and maintenance activities, such as cleaning dust out of the CNC milling machines, one employee would apply lockout/tagout, while other employees, who did not apply lockout/tagout, would perform the cleaning, exposing employees to hazards, including, but not limited to, getting caught-in and struck-by moving machine parts, on or about September 11, 2015.  Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and state employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Feb 17, 2016

Abate by

May 23, 2016

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $1,960 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1): One or more methods of machine guarding were 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:  (a) 417 Building, Material Prep - The Ryerson die shear operated by foot pedal.  Employees hand-fed polypropylene material into the shear to cut the polypropylene into strips.  The fixed barrier guard had a height of 1/2 inch above the table, exposing employees to the hazard of getting fingers struck-by the hold-downs, on or about September 1, 2015.  (b) 415 Building, Manufacturing Area - Upright finishers, such as the Bostitch Buffing/Grinding Machine (model S-500/C, serial number 93-13907), the Baldor Buffer (serial number X0808147026), and the Supreme S-500 (serial number 1473), had unguarded rotating shafts between the various tools, including, sanding belts and buffing wheels and heads, exposing employees to the hazard of getting caught-in rotating parts, on or about September 11, 2015.  Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and state employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Feb 17, 2016

Abate by

Mar 23, 2016

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $1,470 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(b)(2): Listed or labeled electrical equipment was not used or installed in accordance with instructions included in the listing or labeling:  (a) Posting A, 415 Building - A four-receptacle metal knockout box hung as a pendant from a flexible cord, and employees used this box for supplying power to loads, including, but not limited to, the Delta 50-760 vertical bag dust collector and a relocatable power tap, which in turn powered loads, including a Craftsman 10-inch vertical band saw and a light.  The employer did not have this metal knockout box installed in accordance with the box's listing, labeling, or certification in that the employer did not have this knockout box securely and rigidly mounted to the building or other support structure, exposing employees to injurious contact with electrical current, on or about September 11, 2015.  (b) Posting A, 415 Building - The employer used a relocatable power tap (a.k.a., a power strip or surge protector) to power loads, including a Craftsman 10-inch vertical band saw and a light.  The UL listing for the power tap specifies use in supplying power to low amperage electronic equipment rather than equipment such as the saw and light, exposing employees to an electrical hazard, on or about September 11, 2015.  Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and state employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Feb 17, 2016

Abate by

Jun 23, 2016

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $1,960 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.307(c): Equipment, wiring methods, and installations of equipment in hazardous (classified) locations was not intrinsically safe, approved for the hazardous (classified) location, or safe for the hazardous (classified) location:  (a) Mill Room, 415 Building - The CNC milling machines and MultiCam CNC router, used to cut medium density fiberboard (MDF), generated wood dust (a Class II combustible dust).  General purpose wiring, receptacles, cords, etc. were not approved for Class II, Division 2 locations.  Additionally, employees used a Shop-Vac (not approved for Class II combustible dust) to vacuum up the wood dust, exposing employees to the hazards of fire and explosion from combustible wood dust, on or about September 8, 2015.  Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and state employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.