OSHA Inspection: METRO EAST INDUSTRIES, INC.

Issued

Apr 26, 2017

Abate by

May 22, 2017

Penalty

Initial $9,054 · Current $7,243 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.37(a)(3): Exit route(s) were not kept free and unobstructed:      Employer failed to ensure the exit route from hopper rail cars were kept unobstructed during blasting activities.  Employees were exposed to entrapment hazards when the blast media was allowed to pile up at the bottom gates blocking the egress path.

Issued

Apr 26, 2017

Abate by

May 22, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(d)(13):  Entry operations were not reviewed when the employer had reason to believe that the measures taken under the permit space program would not protect employees and revise the program to correct deficiencies found to exist before subsequent entries were authorized:  The employer failed to review entry operations to correct deficiencies after receiving complaints from employees about the effectiveness of the program.

Issued

Apr 26, 2017

Abate by

May 22, 2017

Penalty

Initial $9,054 · Current $7,243 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(d)(3): Under the permit-required confined space program required by 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4), the employer did not develop and implement the means, procedures, and practices necessary for safe permit space entry operations:    Employer failed to develop and implement the means, procedures and practices necessary for safe permit space entry operations of hopper rail cars and the blast media recovery pit.

Issued

Apr 26, 2017

Abate by

May 22, 2017

Penalty

Initial $9,054 · Current $7,243 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(g)(1): The employer did not provide training so that all employees whose work was regulated by 29 CFR 1910.146 (permit required confined spaces) acquired the understanding, knowledge, and skills necessary for the safe performance of the duties assigned under 29 CFR 1910.146:      Employer did not assure each employee that was required to enter permit required confined spaces was trained with the knowledge and skills necessary to safely perform assigned duties.

Issued

Apr 26, 2017

Abate by

May 22, 2017

Penalty

Initial $7,243 · Current $8,691

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:    Employer did not develop, document and use procedures for the control of potentially hazardous energy when performing maintenance on the blast media recovery auger.

Issued

Apr 26, 2017

Abate by

May 22, 2017

Penalty

Initial $10,864 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(d): The established procedure for the application of energy control (the lockout or tagout procedures) did not cover the actions listed in and was not done in sequence as required by 29 CFR 1910.147(d)(1)-(6):    On or about November 12, 2016, employees were exposed to machine hazards associated with moving parts and in-going nip point hazards during servicing and maintenance of auger in the blast media recovery pit.  The employer failed to implement energy control application steps as the machine was not shut down or turned off to perform the servicing work [per the 1910.147(d)(2) requirements].  As a result, the remaining applicable energy control elements, involving machine isolation [(d)(3)], LOTO device application [(d)(4)], dissipation of residual energy [(d)(5)(i)], and verification of isolation [(d)(6)], were not implemented to protect employees from machine servicing hazards.

Issued

Apr 26, 2017

Penalty

Initial $9,054 · Current $7,243 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.176(f): Derail and/or bumper blocks were not provided on spur railroad tracks where a rolling car could contact other cars being worked or enter a building, work or traffic area:      On or about November 1, 2016 and at times prior, the employer failed to provide a derailing device on the spur railroad track leading into the Paint Shop Light Blast area.

Issued

Apr 26, 2017

Abate by

May 22, 2017

Penalty

Initial $9,054 · Current $7,243 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.252(b)(4)(iv): An attendant with a preplanned rescue procedure was not stationed outside a confined space opening to observe the welder at all times in case of emergency and was not capable of putting rescue operations into effect:         The employer failed to ensure that an attendant with a preplanned rescue procedure was stationed outside the confined space opening of the hopper rail cars during welding activities in case of an emergency.

Issued

Apr 26, 2017

Abate by

May 22, 2017

Penalty

Initial $9,054 · Current $7,243 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.252(c)(2)(i)(C): Mechanical ventilation was not provided in confined spaces or where the welding space contained partitions, balconies, or other structural barriers to the extent that they significantly obstructed cross ventilation:         The employer failed to provide mechanical ventilation in the confined spaces of the hopper rail cars during welding activities when cross ventilation was obstructed by structural barriers.

Issued

Apr 26, 2017

Abate by

May 22, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.252(c)(4)(i): All welding and cutting operations carried on in confined spaces were not adequately ventilated to prevent the accumulation of toxic materials or possible oxygen deficiency:     The employer failed to ensure that the confined spaces of hopper rail cars were adequately ventilated during welding activities.