OSHA Inspection: PALLET RECOVERY, INC.

Issued

Sep 28, 2018

Abate by

Nov 5, 2018

Penalty

Initial $6,467 · Current $3,880 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(1): The employer did not establish a program consisting of an energy control procedure, employee training and periodic inspections to ensure that before any employee performed any servicing or maintenance on a machine or equipment where the unexpected energizing, startup or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, the machine or equipment shall be isolated from the energy source and rendered inoperative:    East building, pallet dismantling saws - on or about April 3, 2018, employees assigned to perform maintenance and servicing activities such as blade changes and preventive maintenance on energized equipment were exposed to machine caught-in hazards likely to result in serious injury because hazardous energy control (lockout) program was not established in the workplace to:    - develop and utilize energy control procedures;  - conduct authorized and affected employees training; and,  - perform periodic inspections of the procedures and personnel.    Alternative measures such as, but not limited, to relying on a stop control or emergency-stop function to prevent unexpected start-up on energized machines did not ensure effective protection.      Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(d).

Issued

Sep 28, 2018

Abate by

Nov 5, 2018

Penalty

Initial $9,054 · Current $5,433 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.    East building, Industrial Resources pallet dismantling saws: on or about April 3, 2018, saw operators were positioning and pulling wood pallets through the unguarded running band blade to dismantle wood pallets. Operators' fingers and hands were exposed to contact with unguarded running blade likely to result in amputation injury because effective safeguarding or other access preventing methods were not ensured.    Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(d).

Issued

Sep 28, 2018

Abate by

Nov 5, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(4)(iii): An evaluation of each powered industrial truck operator's performance shall be conducted at least once every three years.  Pallet dismantling, assembly, and loading docks areas, powered industrial vehicles - on or about April 3, 2018, employees that were assigned to operate forklifts for regular material handling tasks did not receive required evaluation in safe operating skills at least once every three years.   Abatement certification is required of this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(c).

Issued

Sep 28, 2018

Abate by

Nov 5, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(p)(1): If at any time a powered industrial truck is found to be in need of repair, defective, or in any way unsafe, the truck shall be taken out of service until it has been restored to safe operating condition.  East, assembly area, Toyota counterbalanced powered industrial vehicle serial no. 30285: on or about April 3, 2018, an employee was operating a forklift with damaged load backrest extension for regular material handling tasks and stacking of wood pallets.  Abatement certification is required of this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(c).