OSHA Inspection: POLAR CORP.

Issued

Oct 6, 2017

Abate by

Oct 13, 2017

Penalty

Initial $12,675 · Current $6,338 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:        40 Walcott St, Worcester, MA    On September 15, 2017 and at times prior, machine operators who set up and unjammed the Water Line Decapper machine did not use the energy control procedure to isolate energy sources.  Additionally, machinery maintenance employees did not use any procedures when performing maintenance and servicing tasks.  On September 7, 2017, one of five employees repairing the Decapper machine without utilizing lock out procedures received a finger injury.

Issued

Oct 6, 2017

Abate by

Oct 13, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(f)(3)(ii)(D): Each authorized employee did not affix a personal lockout or tagout device to the group lockout device before working on the machine or equipment:  40 Walcott St, Worcester, MA  On September 28, 2017 and at times prior, maintenance technician employees who were exposed to hazards while performing servicing tasks placed only one lock on each energy source to protect multiple employees.

Issued

Oct 6, 2017

Abate by

Dec 29, 2017

Penalty

Initial $12,675 · Current $6,338 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(B): The energy control procedures did not clearly and specifically outline the steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy.    40 Walcott St, Worcester, MA    On September 15, 2017 and at times prior, the employer's energy control procedures did not specify the locations of energy sources and isolation devices to be used.  Additionally, the Water Line Washer machine used steam as a thermal energy, but the procedure only identified electrical and pneumatic energy sources.

Issued

Oct 6, 2017

Abate by

Dec 29, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6)(i): The employer did not conduct a periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually to ensure that the procedure and the requirement of this standard were being followed:    40 Walcott St, Worcester, MA    On September 15, 2017, the employer had no record that a periodic inspection had ever been performed to ensure that each procedure was inspected for inaccuracies during an actual energy control maintenance task, and that an inspector reviewed with each authorized employee their responsibilities under the energy control procedure.

Issued

Oct 6, 2017

Abate by

Oct 17, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(iv): The employer did not certify by each employee's name and dates of training that employee training had been accomplished and kept up to date:   40 Walcott St, Worcester, MA  On September 15, 2017, the employer had no record that affected employees had been instructed in the purpose and use of the energy control procedure and that all other employees, whose work operations were or may be in an area where energy control procedures are utilized, had been instructed about the procedure, and about the prohibition relating to attempts to restart or reenergize machines or equipment which are locked out.

Issued

Oct 6, 2017

Abate by

Oct 31, 2017

Penalty

Initial $12,675 · Current $6,338 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:    40 Walcott St, Worcester, MA    On September 15, 2017 and at times prior, the water line decapper machine and adjacent conveyor machines were not adequately guarded to protect employees performing operational tasks in those areas:    a) Employees were able to reach around the decapper machines installed guarding to contact moving parts.   b) Some plastic plates that bridged two conveyor belts had gaps large enough for employee fingers to be pulled into the shear points.

Issued

Oct 6, 2017

Abate by

Oct 13, 2017

Penalty

Initial $12,675 · Current $6,338 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.335(a)(1)(i): Employees working in areas where there were potential electrical hazards were not provided with electrical protective equipment that was appropriate for the specific parts of the body that needed to be protected and for the work being performed:     40 Walcott St, Worcester, MA    On September 15, 2017 and at times prior, while voltage testing electrical components, the electrical maintenance technician was not provided, and did not wear, appropriate electrical protective equipment until test equipment verified the deenergized state.