OSHA Inspection: NORTHEAST AGRICULTURAL SALES, INC.

Issued

Jan 19, 2018

Abate by

Oct 1, 2018

Penalty

Initial $9,959 · Current $6,971 Reduced

Hazardous substances S101

General-duty citation text

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm, in that employees were exposed to explosion, deflagration or other fire hazards from combustible dust:    Employees were exposed to combustible fertilizer dust hazards in the following instances:    a) Main Material Elevator, Main Building - The riser trunk was not dust tight and allowed combustible dust to escape, settle and accumulate on equipment and other surfaces.    b) Main Material Elevator, Main Building - The system containing combustible dust was not provided with adequate explosion venting.    c) Upper Doghouse, Delivery Hopper - The distance between the out-flow chute and the openings in the floor, that feeds the individual hoppers, did not prevent the accumulation of combustible dust.    d) Upper Doghouse, Delivery Hopper - On about October 11, 2017, nonsparking scoops or shovels were not utilized to clean areas containing combustible dust.

Issued

Jan 19, 2018

Abate by

Jan 29, 2018

Penalty

Initial $9,959 · Current $6,971 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(a)(1): All places of employment, passageways, storerooms, service rooms, and walking-working surfaces were not kept in a clean, orderly, and sanitary condition:    Main Material Elevator, Main Building - On or about 10/16/2017, the machinery, framework and electrical equipment were not kept clean and the surfaces were coated with combustible dust.

Issued

Jan 19, 2018

Abate by

Jan 29, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(a)(2): The floor of each workroom was not maintained in a clean condition:    The floor was not maintained in a clean condition, in the following instances:  a) Main Material Elevator, Main Building - The floor was coated with combustible dust.  b) Upper Doghouse, Delivery Hopper - The floor was  coated with combustible dust.

Issued

Jan 19, 2018

Abate by

Jan 29, 2018

Penalty

Initial $7,114 · Current $4,979 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1)(i)(A): The employer did not ensure that each employee on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge that is 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level was protected from falling by a standard guardrail system.    Ladder Platform, Delivery Hopper - The platform 8.5 feet above the ground was not equipped with a midrail.

Issued

Jan 19, 2018

Penalty

Initial $4,268 · Current $2,987 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.28(b)(3)(i): Holes. The employer did not ensure each employee was protected from falling through any hole (including skylights) that was 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower lever:    Upper Doghouse, Delivery Hopper - The eight exposed openings for the individual hoppers were not guarded against employees stepping into them while performing cleaning operations.

Issued

Jan 19, 2018

Abate by

Mar 8, 2018

Penalty

Initial $5,691 · Current $3,983 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c): The employer did not develop and implement a written respiratory protection program with required worksite-specific procedures and elements for required respirator use:    Upper Doghouse, Delivery Hopper - On or about October 11, 2017, employees wearing respirators were not protected by a written respiratory protection program.

Issued

Jan 19, 2018

Abate by

Jan 31, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3)(ii): The employer did not provide a respirator that was appropriate for the chemical state and physical form of the contaminant:  Upper Doghouse, Delivery Hopper - The employer supplied an employee exposed to airborne fertilizer dust with inappropriate respiratory protection in that ammonia cartridges but no particulate filters were provided.

Issued

Jan 19, 2018

Abate by

Mar 8, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1): The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace:  Upper Doghouse, Delivery Hopper - The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to employees required to wear respirators.

Issued

Jan 19, 2018

Abate by

Mar 8, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(f)(1): The employer did not ensure that employee(s) required to use a tight-fitting facepiece respirator passed the appropriate qualitative fit test (QLFT) or quantitative fit test (QNFT):  Upper Doghouse, Delivery Hopper - The employer did not fit test employees required to wear respirators.

Issued

Jan 19, 2018

Abate by

Mar 8, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k): The employer did not provide comprehensive, understandable respirator training which did not occur annually and/or more often if necessary:  Upper Doghouse, Delivery Hopper - The employer did not provide training to employees required to wear respirators.

Issued

Jan 19, 2018

Abate by

Mar 14, 2018

Penalty

Initial $9,959 · Current $6,971 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(b)(8)(i): Electric equipment was not firmly secured to the surface on which it was mounted:    Upper Doghouse, Delivery Hopper - The electrical conduit, boxes, and light fixture were not securely mounted.

Issued

Jan 19, 2018

Abate by

Jan 31, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(b)(1)(ii): Electrical equipment was not free from recognized hazards, based on the mechanical strength and durability, including, for parts designed to enclose and protect other equipment, the adequacy of the protection thus provided:  Upper Doghouse, Delivery Hopper - The light fixture was not equipped with a globe or bulb protective enclosure.

Issued

Jan 19, 2018

Abate by

Jan 29, 2018

Penalty

Initial $7,114 · Current $4,979 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(b)(7)(i): Unused openings in boxes, raceways, auxiliary gutters, cabinets, equipment cases, or housings were not effectively closed to afford protection substantially equivalent to the wall of the equipment.    Southwest Side, Maintenance Workshop - The right side breaker panel was missing a breaker or blank in slot 14.

Issued

Jan 19, 2018

Abate by

Jan 29, 2018

Penalty

Initial $7,114 · Current $4,979 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(f)(2): Each service, feeder, and branch circuit, at its disconnecting means or overcurrent device, was not legibly marked to indicate its purpose, nor located and arranged so the purpose was evident:    Circuit breakers were not marked as to their purpose, in the following instances:    a) Right Panel, Southeast Side of the Maintenance Workshop - Breaker 3 was not labeled.    b) Left Panel, Southeast Side of the Maintenance Workshop - Breakers 7/9 and 17 were not labeled.

Issued

Jan 19, 2018

Abate by

Jan 29, 2018

Penalty

Initial $7,114 · Current $4,979 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(g)(1)(i)(A): For electric equipment operating at 600 volts, nominal, or less to ground, the depth of the working space in the direction of access to live parts (as measured from the live parts where they were exposed or from the enclosure front or opening where they were enclosed) was less than indicated in Table S-1 of Subpart S of Part 1910:    Working space in front of electrical breaker panels was less than three feet, in the following instances:    a) Southeast Side of Maintenance Workshop - Access to the two breaker panels was blocked by the red toolbox/work bench.    b) Northwest Side of Maintenance Workshop - Access to the single breaker panel was blocked by fuel cans, cardboard box and other debris.