OSHA Inspection: APPALACHIAN WOOD FLOORS, INC.

Issued

Dec 4, 2015

Penalty

Initial $4,860 · Current $2,430 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.24(f): "Stair treads." All treads shall be reasonably slip-resistant and the nosings shall be of nonslip finish. Welded bar grating treads without nosings are acceptable providing the leading edge can be readily identified by personnel descending the stairway and provided the tread is serrated or is of definite nonslip design. Rise height and tread width shall be uniform throughout any flight of stairs including any foundation structure used as one or more treads of the stairs.    In the new Weinig Machine Line, Infeed System Area, an employee was exposed to a fall hazard from a wooden step, 4 1/2 inch, and three 7 1/2 inch steps leading up to the wooden platform not being of uniform rise height.

Issued

Dec 4, 2015

Abate by

Jan 25, 2016

Penalty

Initial $4,050 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(i): Procedures shall be developed, documented and utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees are engaged in the activities covered by this section.   Note: Exception: The employer need not document the required procedure for a particular machine or equipment, when all of the following elements exist: (1) The machine or equipment has no potential for stored or residual energy or reaccumulation of stored energy after shut down which could endanger employees; (2) the machine or equipment has a single energy source which can be readily identified and isolated; (3) the isolation and locking out of that energy source will completely deenergize and deactivate the machine or equipment; (4) the machine or equipment is isolated from that energy source and locked out during servicing or maintenance; (5) a single lockout device will achieve a locker-out condition; (6) the lockout device is under the exclusive control of the authorized employee performing the servicing or maintenance; (7) the servicing or maintenance does not create hazards for other employees; and (8) the employer, in utilizing this exception, has had no accidents involving the unexpected activation or reenergization of the machine or equipment during servicing or maintenance.    The employer had not utilized a specific, documented energy control procedure for the Weinig Machine Line when retrieving a board that had dropped from the vacuum lift onto the chain conveyor at the Infeed System Area.

Issued

Dec 4, 2015

Abate by

Dec 23, 2015

Penalty

Initial $5,670 · Current $5,670

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(d): Application of control. The established procedures for the application of energy control (the lockout or tagout procedures) shall cover the following elements and actions and shall be done in the following sequence:    Employees who performed servicing on the Weinig Line Infeed System Area were not required to:    (1) know the type and magnitude of the energy, hazards of the energy to be controlled, and method or means to control the energy.  (2) turn off and shut down the machine.  (3) physically locate and operate energy isolating devices in such a manner as to isolate the chain conveyor and vacuum lift from the energy source.  (4) affix lockout devices to each energy isolating device  (5) prior to starting work on the Weinig machine that have been locked out, verify that isolation and deenergization of the machine have been accomplished.

Issued

Dec 4, 2015

Penalty

Initial $5,670 · Current $2,835 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(i)(A): Each authorized employee shall receive training in the recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and the methods and means necessary for energy isolation and control.    On or about October 22, 2015, in the new Weinig Machine Line, Infeed System Area, an employee was exposed to a struck-by, caught-inbetween hazard on the Weinig machine by not receiving training from the employer on the recognition of the hazardous energy sources, type and magnitude, and the means and method necessary for energy isolation and control when clearing a board under the vacuum lift  on the chain conveyor of the infeed system area of the machine.