OSHA Inspection: DISTINCTIVE WELDING, INC.

Issued

Sep 13, 2018

Abate by

Nov 1, 2018

Penalty

Initial $4,398 · Current $3,000 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:    a) Distinctive Welding Inc. Located at 700 W. Willox Lane, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding 5/24/2018,  The employer did not establish a program consisting of an energy control procedure, employee training and periodic inspections to ensure that machines were isolated and disabled before employees performed any servicing or maintenance.  Employees perform maintenance and cleaning of the vertical bandsaw, air compressor, Kaliburn plasma cutter, and a mill/drill presses.  During maintenance and servicing, unexpected energizing, startup or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury.  This exposed employees to caught-in hazards.

Issued

Sep 13, 2018

Abate by

Oct 10, 2018

Penalty

Initial $4,398 · Current $3,000 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:    a) Distinctive Welding Inc. Located at 700 W. Willox Lane, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding 5/24/2018, the employer did not ensure that the Blue Point BG 500G bench grinder wire wheel was provided with a side guard which covered the spindle end, nut, flange projections.  Employees use the bench grinder abrasive wheel to grind down TIG welding rod.  The wire wheel portion turns with the abrasive wheel portion which had the side guard removed.  This exposed employees to caught in hazards.

Issued

Sep 13, 2018

Abate by

Oct 10, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.215(a)(4): Work rests. On offhand grinding machines, work rests shall be used to support the work. They shall be of rigid construction and designed to be adjustable to compensate for wheel wear. Work rests shall be kept adjusted closely to the wheel with a maximum opening of one-eighth inch to prevent the work from being jammed between the wheel and the rest, which may cause wheel breakage. The work rest shall be securely clamped after each adjustment. The adjustment shall not be made with the wheel in motion.    a) Distinctive Welding Inc. Located at 700 W. Willox Lane, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding 5/24/2018, the employer did not ensure that work rests were kept adjusted within a maximum opening of one-eighth inch to prevent the work from being jammed between the wheel and the rest.  Employees use the bench grinder abrasive wheel to grind down TIG welding rod.  The work rest was 1/4" or more from the abrasive wheel.  This exposed employees to  caught-in and struck-by hazards.

Issued

Sep 13, 2018

Abate by

Oct 10, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.215(d)(1): Wheel(s) on grinding machine(s) were not sounded (ring test) and inspected for damage before mounting:    a) Distinctive Welding Inc. Located at 700 W. Willox Lane, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding 5/24/2018, the employer did not ensure that the Blue Point BG 500G bench grinder wheels were sounded (ring test) and inspected for damage before mounting. Employees use the 4" abrasive wheels to grind down TIG welding rod.  This exposed employees to struck-by hazards.

Issued

Sep 13, 2018

Penalty

Initial $4,398 · Current $3,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.243(c)(1): Abrasive wheel(s) were used on portable grinder(s) which were not provided with safety guard(s) meeting the requirements specified in 29 CFR 1910.243(c)(1) through (c)(4).      a) Distinctive Welding Inc. Located at 700 W. Willox Lane, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding 5/24/2018, the employer did not ensure that abrasive wheel(s) on portable grinder(s) were provided with safety guards.  Employees at each station used portable grinder to sand down and smoothen welds.  All hand held grinders in the shop area were being operated without the guards installed.  this exposed employees to struck-by and caught-in hazards.

Issued

Sep 13, 2018

Abate by

Oct 10, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.243(c)(5)(i): Immediately before mounting, all wheels shall be closely inspected and sounded by the user (ring test, see Subpart O, 1910.215(d)(1)) to make sure they have not been damaged in transit, storage, or otherwise. The spindle speed of the machine shall be checked before mounting of the wheel to be certain that it does not exceed the maximum operating speed marked on the wheel.    a) Distinctive Welding Inc. Located at 700 W. Willox Lane, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding 5/24/2018, the employer did not ensure that wheels used on hand held grinders were sounded (ring test) and inspected for damage before mounting. Employees use the 4.5" sanding and cutting wheels to smoothen welds and make small cuts to metal.  This exposes employees to struck-by hazards.

Issued

Sep 13, 2018

Abate by

Oct 10, 2018

Penalty

Initial $3,298 · Current $1,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(b)(1): Electrical equipment was not free from recognized hazards that were likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees:    a) Distinctive Welding Inc. Located at 700 W. Willox Lane, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding 5/24/2018, the employer did not ensure that a cover on an energized electrical outlet box was fastened.  The outlet used to power the bench grinder had several screws missing from the cover which exposed wire nuts and the back side of the outlet.  This exposed employees to electrical shock hazards.    b) Distinctive Welding Inc. Located at 700 W. Willox Lane, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding 5/24/2018, the employer did not ensure that a cover was installed on an energized electrical box which powered an exhaust fan in the Plasma CNC room.  This exposed employees to shock hazards.

Issued

Sep 13, 2018

Abate by

Nov 1, 2018

Penalty

Initial $3,298 · Current $1,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): The employer did not develop, implement, and/or maintain at the workplace a written hazard communication program which describes how the criteria specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) will be met:    a) Distinctive Welding Inc. Located at 700 W. Willox Lane, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding 5/24/2018, the employer did not develop, implement, and/or maintain at the workplace a written hazard communication program which describes how the criteria specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) will be met.  Welder and maintenance employees worked with certain chemicals such as, but not limited to, welding rod, paints, solvents, paint thinners and primers.  The employer did not develop, implement, and maintain a written hazard communication program which describes how labeling, safety data sheets, and training will met.

Issued

Sep 13, 2018

Abate by

Nov 1, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1): Employees were not provided effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment and whenever a new hazard that the employees had not been previously trained about was introduced into their work area:    a) Distinctive Welding Inc. Located at 700 W. Willox Lane, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding 5/24/2018, the employer did not ensure that employees were provided effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment and whenever a new hazard that the employees had not been previously trained about was introduced into their work area.  Welders and maintenance employees worked with certain chemicals such as, but not limited to, paints, solvents, paint thinners and primers.

Issued

Sep 13, 2018

Abate by

Oct 10, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.107(f)(4): Portable extinguishers. An adequate supply of suitable portable fire extinguishers shall be installed near all spraying areas.  a) Distinctive Welding Inc. Located at 700 W. Willox Lane, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding 5/24/2018, the employer did not ensure that an adequate supply of suitable portable fire extinguishers was installed near all spraying areas. Employees working with flammable paints, primers and thinners in an outdoor spray area did not have fire extinguishers accessible near the spray area.  This exposed employees to fire hazards.

Issued

Sep 13, 2018

Abate by

Oct 10, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.132(d)(2): The employer did not verify, through a written certification, the identity of the workplace evaluated, the person certifying that the evaluation had been performed, and the date the hazard assessment was done:  a) Distinctive Welding Inc. Located at 700 W. Willox Lane, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding 5/24/2018, the employer did not verify, through a written certification, the identity of the workplace evaluated, the person certifying that the evaluation had been performed, and the date the hazard assessment was done.  Employees in the welding and maintenance sections are exposed to electrical hazards, chemical hazards, and mechanical hazards that necessitated the use of personal protective equipment.

Issued

Sep 13, 2018

Abate by

Nov 1, 2018

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(1): Employers did not have a safety data sheet in the workplace for each hazardous chemical which they use    a) Distinctive Welding Inc. Located at 700 W. Willox Lane, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding 5/24/2018, the employer did not ensure that safety data sheets were in the workplace for each hazardous chemical which they use. Welders and maintenance employees worked with certain chemicals such as, but not limited to, paints, solvents, paint thinners and primers. The employer provided MSDS's for the chemicals requested rather than SDS's.