OSHA Inspection: ALCO SPRING INDUSTRIES, INC.

Issued

Aug 24, 2016

Abate by

Oct 12, 2016

Penalty

Initial $3,741 · Current $1,871 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.151(c): Where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body shall be provided within the work area for immediate emergency use.   [63 FR 33450, June 18, 1998]       a. On or about July 7, 2016, in the Matteson Grinding area , employees required to work with coolant containing triethanolamine and monoethanolamine, were not provided with suitable facilities for flushing of the eyes.

Issued

Aug 24, 2016

Abate by

Aug 30, 2016

Penalty

Initial $3,741 · Current $1,871 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.       A. On or about July 7, 2016, in the production area, the company's written lockout program did not include specific energy control procedures for each type of equipment in the facility that needed to be locked out, including, but not limited to, the Matteson grinder.   Employees were thereby exposed to the hazards associated with unexpected energization of equipment.

Issued

Aug 24, 2016

Abate by

Oct 12, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6)(i): The employer shall conduct a periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually to ensure that the procedure and the requirements of this standard are being followed.   a.  On or about July 7, 2016, in the production area,  the employer had not performed annual periodic inspections to ensure that documented lockout/tagout procedures were being followed by authorized employees

Issued

Aug 24, 2016

Abate by

Nov 25, 2016

Penalty

Initial $8,730 · Current $4,365 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1): Types of guarding. One or more methods of machine guarding shall be 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. Examples of guarding methods are-barrier guards, two-hand tripping devices, electronic safety devices, etc.     a.   On or about July 7, 2016, in the work area,  the employer did not provide a guard to protect employees from coming in contact with rotating grinding wheel on the Matteson Grinder Machine #2. Employees were exposed to amputations and lacerations.

Issued

Aug 24, 2016

Abate by

Oct 12, 2016

Penalty

Initial $3,741 · Current $1,871 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.215(a)(4): Work rests. On offhand grinding machines, work rests shall be used to support the work. They shall be of rigid construction and designed to be adjustable to compensate for wheel wear. Work rests shall be kept adjusted closely to the wheel with a maximum opening of one-eighth inch to prevent the work from being jammed between the wheel and the rest, which may cause wheel breakage. The work rest shall be securely clamped after each adjustment. The adjustment shall not be made with the wheel in motion.             a.  On or about July 7, 2016, the distance between the abrasive wheel and the adjustable work rest on the Point grinder exceeded one- eighth inch, thereby exposing employees to the hazards associated with rotating abrasive wheels and wheel breakage.

Issued

Aug 24, 2016

Abate by

Nov 25, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.215(b)(9): Exposure adjustment. Safety guards of the types described in Subparagraphs (3) and (4) of this paragraph, where the operator stands in front of the opening, shall be constructed so that the peripheral protecting member can be adjusted to the constantly decreasing diameter of the wheel. The maximum angular exposure above the horizontal plane of the wheel spindle as specified in paragraphs (b)(3) and (4) of this section shall never be exceeded, and the distance between the wheel periphery and the adjustable tongue or the end of the peripheral member at the top shall never exceed one-fourth inch. (See Figures O-18, O-19, O-20, O-21, O-22, and O-23.)    a.  On or about July 7, 2016, in the production area,  the distance between the abrasive wheel periphery and the adjustable tongue at the top of Point Grinder exceeded one-fourth inch, thereby exposing employees to the hazards associated with wheel breakage.

Issued

Aug 24, 2016

Abate by

Nov 25, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.215(d)(3): Surface condition. All contact surfaces of wheels, blotters and flanges shall be flat and free of foreign matter.  a. On or about July 7, 2016,  in the shop, the Point grinder did not have a wheel with a flat front as required by the standard.   The employees were exposed to the hazards associated with broken abrasive wheels.

Issued

Aug 24, 2016

Abate by

Oct 12, 2016

Penalty

Initial $3,741 · Current $1,871 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): Employers shall develop, implement, and maintain at each workplace, a written hazard communication program which at least describes how the criteria specified in paragraphs (f), (g), and (h) of this section for labels and other forms of warning, material safety data sheets, and employee information and training will be met, and which also includes the following:       a. On or about July 7, 2016, in the work area, the employees were required to work with chemicals such as, but not limited to, coolant containing triethanolamine.  The employer did not develop a written a hazard communication program

Issued

Aug 24, 2016

Abate by

Oct 12, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(3)(ii): The physical and health hazards of the chemicals in the work area;  a. On or about July 7, 2016, in the work area, employees were required to work with coolant that contained triethanloamine and were not informed of the chemical's health hazards.

Issued

Aug 24, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.145(f)(5): Danger tags. Danger tags shall be used in major hazard situations where an immediate hazard presents a threat of death or serious injury to employees. Danger tags shall be used only in these situations.  a. On or about July 7, 2016,  in back of the Matteson Grinder, there was no warning sign to alert employees to the moving parts of the machine.

Issued

Aug 24, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7): Industrial trucks shall be examined before being placed in service, and shall not be placed in service if the examination shows any condition adversely affecting the safety of the vehicle. Such examination shall be made at least daily. Where industrial trucks are used on a round-the-clock basis, they shall be examined after each shift. Defects when found shall be immediately reported and corrected.    a. On or about July 7, 2016, in the facility, employees were required to use powered industrial vehicles on a daily basis. The powered industrial vehicles were not regularly inspected prior to use to verify their working condition