OSHA Inspection: THE HIGGINS GROUP CORP.

Issued

Feb 27, 2019

Abate by

Apr 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $9,282 · Current $5,618 Reduced

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 to employees; in that, employees were exposed to being crushed-by storage racks.   On or about August 30, 2018, at 3198 NW 125th Street, Miami Florida, the employer failed to protect workers who were exposed to crush-by hazards from damaged and/or overloaded storage racks.  NOTE: CERTIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF ABATEMENT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS VIOLATION.

Issued

Feb 27, 2019

Abate by

Apr 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $9,282 · Current $5,618 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). On or about August 30, 2018, at 3198 NW 125th Street, Miami Florida, the employer failed to develop and implement a Hazardous Energy Control Program for set-up, cleaning and maintenance of pet foods manufacturing machines such as but not limited to: (1) a receiving conveyor system; therefore exposing the machine operators, the machine mechanics and machine cleaning employees to thermal, pinch, nip, cut, and amputate hazards.       b). On or about August 30, 2018, at 3198 NW 125th Street, Miami Florida, the employer failed to develop and implement a Hazardous Energy Control Program for set-up, cleaning and maintenance of pet foods manufacturing machines such as but not limited to: (2) a silo system; therefore exposing the machine operators, the machine mechanics and machine cleaning employees to thermal, pinch, nip, cut, and amputate hazards.      c). On or about August 30, 2018, at 3198 NW 125th Street, Miami Florida, the employer failed to develop and implement a Hazardous Energy Control Program for set-up, cleaning and maintenance of pet foods manufacturing machines such as but not limited to: (3) two bagging systems (Hayssen machines); therefore exposing the machine operators, the machine mechanics and machine cleaning employees to thermal, pinch, nip, cut, and amputate hazards.      d). On or about August 30, 2018, at 3198 NW 125th Street, Miami Florida, the employer failed to develop and implement a Hazardous Energy Control Program for set-up, cleaning and maintenance of pet foods manufacturing machines such as but not limited to: (4) a conveyor boxing/distribution system; therefore exposing the machine operators, the machine mechanics and machine cleaning employees to thermal, pinch, nip, cut, and amputate hazards.    e). On or about August 30, 2018, at 3198 NW 125th Street, Miami Florida, the employer failed to develop and implement a Hazardous Energy Control Program for set-up, cleaning and maintenance of pet foods manufacturing machines such as but not limited to: (5) a grain/ingredients bucket elevator for micro; therefore exposing the machine operators, the machine mechanics and machine cleaning employees to thermal, pinch, nip, cut, and amputate hazards.    NOTE: CERTIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF ABATEMENT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS VIOLATION.

Issued

Feb 27, 2019

Abate by

Apr 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $9,282 · Current $6,500 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). On or about August 30, 2018, at 3198 NW 125th Street, Miami Florida, employees were operating/were able to place parts of their body into the danger zone of pet foods manufacturing machines, consisting of a small bag pet foods manufacturing machine(s), and a large bag pet food manufacturing machine; which were comprised of several different sub-components/machines, such as but not limited to: (1) a receiving conveyor system, all of which contained ingoing pinch points, nip points, cut points and thermal/burn points, which were not protected by one or more methods of primary machine guarding; therefore exposing the operator(s) to nip, pinch, cut and thermal hazards.    b). On or about August 30, 2018, at 3198 NW 125th Street, Miami Florida, employees were operating/were able to place parts of their body into the danger zone of pet foods manufacturing machines, consisting of a small bag pet foods manufacturing machine(s), and a large bag pet food manufacturing machine; which were comprised of several different sub-components/machines, such as but not limited to: (2) a silo system, all of which contained ingoing pinch points, nip points, cut points and thermal/burn points, which were not protected by one or more methods of primary machine guarding; therefore exposing the operator(s) to nip, pinch, cut and thermal hazards.    c). On or about August 30, 2018, at 3198 NW 125th Street, Miami Florida, employees were operating/were able to place parts of their body into the danger zone of pet foods manufacturing machines, consisting of a small bag pet foods manufacturing machine(s), and a large bag pet food manufacturing machine; which were comprised of several different sub-components/machines, such as but not limited to: (3) two bagging systems (Hayssen machines), all of which contained ingoing pinch points, nip points, cut points and thermal/burn points, which were not protected by one or more methods of primary machine guarding; therefore exposing the operator(s) to nip, pinch, cut and thermal hazards.    d). On or about August 30, 2018, at 3198 NW 125th Street, Miami Florida, employees were operating/were able to place parts of their body into the danger zone of pet foods manufacturing machines, consisting of a small bag pet foods manufacturing machine(s), and a large bag pet food manufacturing machine; which were comprised of several different sub-components/machines, such as but not limited to: (4) a conveyor boxing/distribution system, all of which contained ingoing pinch points, nip points, cut points and thermal/burn points, which were not protected by one or more methods of primary machine guarding; therefore exposing the operator(s) to nip, pinch, cut and thermal hazards.    e). On or about August 30, 2018, at 3198 NW 125th Street, Miami Florida, employees were operating/were able to place parts of their body into the danger zone of pet foods manufacturing machines, consisting of a small bag pet foods manufacturing machine(s), and a large bag pet food manufacturing machine; which were comprised of several different sub-components/machines, such as but not limited to: (5) a grain/ingredients bucket elevator for micro, all of which contained ingoing pinch points, nip points, cut points and thermal/burn points, which were not protected by one or more methods of primary machine guarding; therefore exposing the operator(s) to nip, pinch, cut and thermal hazards.    NOTE: CERTIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF ABATEMENT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS VIOLATION.

Issued

Feb 27, 2019

Abate by

Apr 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $6,630 · Current $6,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(e)(3)(i): Vertical or inclined belt(s) were not enclosed by guard(s) conforming to the requirements specified at 29 CFR 1910.219(m) and (o)(a)     On or about August 30, 2018, at 3198 NW 125th Street, Miami Florida, employees were exposed to cut, nip and pinch-point hazards from unguarded pulleys and belts, which were not protected by one or more methods of primary machine guarding on  a silo system.    NOTE: CERTIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF ABATEMENT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS VIOLATION.

Issued

Feb 27, 2019

Abate by

Apr 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $9,282 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(f)(1): Gear(s) were not guarded by a complete enclosure or by one of the methods specified in 29 CFR 1910.219(f)(1)(ii) and (f)(1)(iii):(a)     On or about August 30, 2018, at 3198 NW 125th Street, Miami Florida, employees were exposed to cut and amputation  hazards from unguarded gears/sprockets and chains when operating a conveyor boxing/distribution system, which were not protected by one or more methods of primary machine guarding.        NOTE: CERTIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF ABATEMENT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS VIOLATION.

Issued

Feb 27, 2019

Abate by

Apr 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $9,282 · Current $2,800 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.36(f)(2): The capacity of an exit route decreased in the direction of exit route travel to the exit discharge:    a) On or about August 30, 2018, at 3198 NW 125th Street, Miami Florida, storage of items, such as , but not limited to, palletized load and pallets racks, decreased the width of the direction of exit route travel in the South West corner of the building, thus exposing employees to an asphyxiation hazard in the event of a fire.        b) On or about August 30, 2018, at 3198 NW 125th Street, Miami Florida, storage of items, such as, but not limited to, palletized load and pallets racks, decreased the width of the direction of exit route travel in the North West corner of the building, thus exposing employees to an asphyxiation hazard in the event of a fire.        NOTE: CERTIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF ABATEMENT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS VIOLATION.

Issued

Feb 27, 2019

Abate by

Apr 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $6,630 · Current $2,800 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(a)(4): Modifications and additions which affect capacity and safe operation of powered industrial truck were performed by the employer without the manufacturer's prior written approval:    On or about August 30, 2018, at 3198 NW 125th Street, Miami Florida, the employer failed to receive written approval from a forklift manufacturer prior to allowing the operation of a forklift that was used with a front-end elevating platform (man-basket) and not marked with alternative capacities, thus exposing employees to fall and struck-by hazards.      NOTE: CERTIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF ABATEMENT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS VIOLATION.

Issued

Feb 27, 2019

Abate by

Apr 22, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(2)(ii): The employer did not ensure that each operator had successfully completed the training consisting of a combination of formal instruction (e.g., lecture, discussion, interactive computer learning, video tape, written material), practical training (demonstrations performed by the trainer and practical exercises performed by the trainee), and evaluation of the operator's performance in the workplace:    On or about August 30, 2018, at 3198 NW 125th Street, Miami Florida, employees who operated Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklift) did not receive formal instruction, practical training, and evaluation prior to transporting palletized loads,  therefore exposing employees to struck-by hazards.     NOTE: CERTIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF ABATEMENT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS VIOLATION.