OSHA Inspection: SWEET SPECIALTY SOLUTIONS, LLC

Issued

Mar 15, 2018

Abate by

Apr 23, 2018

Penalty

Initial $12,675 · Current $7,650 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.332(b)(1):  Employees shall be trained in and familiar with the safety-related work practices required by 1910.331 through 1910.335 that pertain to their respective job assignments:     Entire Facility - On or about September 25, 2017, maintenance employees performed troubleshooting and servicing tasks on electrical components, including voltage testing on energized components up to 480v.  Employees were not trained in and familiar with safety-related work practices such as the use of special precautionary techniques, personal protective equipment (PPE), insulated tools and insulating and shielding materials necessary to safely accomplish such tasks.  Employees were exposed to the hazards of electrocution and arc flash/blast injuries.       Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19(d).

Issued

Mar 15, 2018

Abate by

Apr 6, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.333(c)(2): Only qualified persons may work on electric circuit parts or equipment that have not been deenergized under the procedures of paragraph (b) of this section. Such persons shall be capable of working safely on energized circuits and shall be familiar with the proper use of special precautionary techniques, personal protective equipment, insulating and shielding materials, and insulated tools:  Entire Facility - On or about September 25, 2017, maintenance employees performed troubleshooting and servicing tasks on electrical components, including voltage testing on energized components up to 480v.  The employer did not ensure that employees were qualified persons, capable of working safely through familiarity with special precautionary techniques, personal protective equipment, insulating and shielding materials and insulated tools necessary to safely accomplish such tasks. Employees were exposed to the hazards of electrocution and arc flash/blast injuries.   Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19(d).

Issued

Mar 15, 2018

Abate by

Apr 6, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.334(c)(1): Only qualified persons may perform testing work on electric circuits or equipment:   Entire Facility - On or about September 25, 2017, maintenance employees who were not qualified persons were assigned and permitted to perform voltage testing on energized components.  Employees were exposed to the hazards of electrocution and arc flash/blast injuries.  Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19(d).

Issued

Mar 15, 2018

Abate by

Apr 6, 2018

Penalty

Initial $12,675 · Current $7,650 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.333(b)(2)(i): The employer shall maintain a written copy of the procedures outlined in paragraph (b)(2) and shall make it available for inspection by employees and by the Assistant Secretary of Labor and his or her authorized representatives:     Entire Facility - On or about September 25, 2017, the employer did not maintain a written copy of procedures for locking and tagging and verification of deenergized parts of fixed electric equipment or circuits by a qualified person.  Employees were exposed to electrical shock and burn hazards.    Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19(d).

Issued

Mar 15, 2018

Abate by

Apr 6, 2018

Penalty

Initial $12,675 · Current $7,650 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.335(a)(1)(i): Employees working in areas where there are potential electrical hazards shall be provided with, and shall use, electrical protective equipment that is appropriate for the specific parts of the body to be protected and for the work to be performed:            Entire Facility - On or about September 25, 2017, the employer failed to ensure that maintenance employees who performed work on or near energized electrical components, including voltage testing, were provided with and used the following electrical protective equipment to protect their bodies against the hazards of electrocution and arc flash/blast injuries:     1)     Rubber insulating gloves with leather protectors (hands).          2)     Arc-rated long-sleeved shirt and pants or arc-rated coverall          (upper and lower body and extremities)     3)     Arc-rated hard hat or arc-rated flash suit hood (head, impact injury)  4)     Arc-rated face shield with safety glasses or arc-rated flash suit hood (eyes/face)        5)     Arc-rated balaclava or arc-rated flash suit hood (head, burn injury).          6)     Hearing protection - ear canal inserts (hearing).           Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19(d).    Note: For abatement assistance, refer to 29 CFR 1910.137, "Electrical Protective Equipment", www.osha.gov; and national consensus standard NFPA 70E, "Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace", www.nfpa.org.

Issued

Mar 15, 2018

Abate by

Jun 15, 2018

Penalty

Initial $18,293 · Current $9,150 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(i): The employer did not provide training to ensure that the purpose and function of the energy control program are understood by employees and that the knowledge and skills required for the safe application, usage, and removal of the energy controls are acquired by employees.     PK 4.0 Packing Line, Hayssen Vertical Form Fill & Seal Machine (Model: CMB 12-19 HR, SN: U84393).  On or about September 25, 2017, employee(s) who performed servicing and maintenance tasks such as cleaning and changing knife blades on the Hayssen machine were exposed to amputation and laceration hazards.  The employer did not ensure that lockout/tagout training was provided to all authorized and affected employees who were assigned such tasks, to ensure that the purpose and function of the energy control program were understood by employees and that the knowledge and skills required for the safe application, usage and removal of the energy controls were acquired by employees.       Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(d).     Sweet Specialty Solutions, LLC was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard which was contained in OSHA Inspection Number 1188748, Citation Number 1, Item Number 1 and was affirmed as a final order on April 19, 2017, with respect to a workplace located at 1105 101st Street, Lemont, Illinois.

Issued

Mar 15, 2018

Abate by

Jun 15, 2018

Penalty

Initial $45,733 · Current $22,900 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).       PK 4.0 Packing Line, Hayssen Vertical Form Fill & Seal Machine (Model: CMB 12-19 HR, SN: U84393).  On or about September 25, 2017, employee(s) performed servicing and maintenance tasks such as cleaning and changing knife blades and were exposed to the unexpected start-up of the machine.  Employees were not required to control hazardous energy sources in the following sequence:     1) turn off and shut down the machine,   2) physically locate and operate energy isolating devices in such a manner as to isolate the machines or equipment from the energy source(s),    3) affix lockout or tagout devices to each energy isolating device,   4) verify that isolation and deenergization of the machines or equipment have been accomplished.     Employees were exposed to amputation and laceration hazards.  Alternate protection, such as machine guarding, was not adequate.     Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(d).     The employer was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard, which was contained in OSHA Inspection number 1188748, Citation Number 2, Item Number 1 and was affirmed as a final order on April 19, 2017, with respect to a workplace located at 1005 101st St. in Lemont, Illinois.