OSHA Inspection: VALMONT INDUSTRIES INC.

Issued

Sep 3, 2019

Abate by

Sep 27, 2019

Penalty

Initial $7,577 · Current $5,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(b)(9)  Ladders are inspected before initial use in each work shift, and more frequently as necessary, to identify any visible defects that could cause employee injury.    The employee is failing to protect the employees from fall hazards resulting from the failure to ensure ladder inspections are accomplished prior to use.  This was most recently documented at Valmont Industries located at 1600 E 29th Avenue in Columbus, NE 68601 on June 18, 2019.  Ladders are not being visually inspected before use, identifying damages.

Issued

Sep 3, 2019

Abate by

Sep 27, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(b)(10):  Any ladder with structural or other defects is immediately tagged "Dangerous: Do Not Use" or with similar language in accordance with �1910.145 and removed from service until repaired.    The employer is failing to protect the employees by having, and or implementing an effective tag out system for equipment that is determined to be unsafe. This was most recently documented at Valmont Industries located at 1600 E 29th Avenue in Columbus, NE 68601 on June 18, 2019. Ladder units are not identified or made unavailable for use to the employees who would otherwise use and be subjected to their damages and hazards.

Issued

Sep 3, 2019

Penalty

Initial $9,472 · Current $6,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1)(i)(A): Guardrail systems;    The employer is failing to protect the employees from falls hazards. This was most recently documented at Valmont Industries located at 1600 E 29th Avenue in Columbus, NE 68601 on June 18, 2019. Employees servicing air conditioning units on an elevated platform exposed to fall hazards due to lack of guard rails, safety chain, or gate closing the opening in the platform.

Issued

Sep 3, 2019

Penalty

Initial $9,472 · Current $6,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.36(d)(1): Employee(s) were not able to open an exit route door from the inside at all times without keys, tools, or special knowledge.    The employer is failing to protect the employees from entrapment from fire or other emergencies, in the event of an emergency the exit door is not being able to accessed in evacuations. This was most recently documented at Valmont Industries located at 1600 E 29th Avenue in Columbus, NE 68601 on June 18, 2019. Building #3 was found to have an inoperable emergency exit door, (#208), the panic bar had been displaced and the door was not identified as being inoperable.

Issued

Sep 3, 2019

Abate by

Sep 27, 2019

Penalty

Initial $7,577 · Current $5,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(i): Procedures were not developed, documented and utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees were engaged in activities covered by this section.    The employer is failing to establish and maintain a written specific energy control program for each piece of equipment to be locked out/tagged-out. This was most recently documented at Valmont Industries located at 1600 E 29th Avenue in Columbus, NE 68601 on June 18, 2019. Shut down procedures are not created, thus creating an electrical hazard to the employees if improper steps are taken to shut equipment down.

Issued

Sep 3, 2019

Abate by

Sep 27, 2019

Penalty

Initial $5,683 · Current $4,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.215(b)(9): The distance between the abrasive wheel periphery(s) and the adjustable tongue or the end of the safety guard peripheral member at the top exceeded one fourth inch.    The employer is failing to ensure that employees are protected from struck by hazards due the tongue guard on the bench mounted grinder in the maintenance area not having a properly adjusted tongue guard. This was most recently documented at Valmont Industries located at 1600 E 29th Avenue in Columbus, NE 68601 on June 18, 2019.  The bench grinder in the maintenance department was improperly guarded by the incorrect gap of the adjustable tongue guard exposing employees to struck by hazards from compromised wheel integrity, and caught by hazards as excessive gap could allow material or tools to be caught between wheel and guarding.

Issued

Sep 3, 2019

Abate by

Sep 27, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.215(d)(3): The contact surface(s) of wheel(s), blotter(s) or flange(s) on grinding machine(s) were not flat and free or foreign matter.    The employer is failing to protect the employees from struck by hazards created by the unkept and even surface of the bench grinder abrasive wheel.   Groove patterns created a condition where tooling and or materials could be easily pulled into the groove and subject the operator to the potential tool being grabbed and subject to discharge. This was most recently documented at Valmont Industries located at 1600 E 29th Avenue in Columbus, NE 68601 on June 18, 2019 in the maintenance area.

Issued

Sep 3, 2019

Penalty

Initial $5,683 · Current $4,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(g)(2)(ii): Flexible cords were not used only in continuous lengths without splice or tap    The employer is failing to protect the employees from electrical hazards. This was most recently documented at Valmont Industries located at 1600 E 29th Avenue in Columbus, NE 68601 on June 18, 2019.  Electrical connections to the seamer were made using multiple electrical extension cords to production equipment.  Multiple cords were plugged into one another to power this piece of production equipment, creating shock and electrocution hazards.

Issued

Sep 3, 2019

Abate by

Sep 27, 2019

Penalty

Initial $7,577 · Current $5,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(g)(2)(iii): Flexible cords were not connected to devices and fittings so that tension would not be transmitted to joints or terminal screws.    The employer is failing to protect the employees to electrical shock hazards created by the failed strain relief. This was most recently documented at Valmont Industries located at 1600 E 29th Avenue in Columbus, NE 68601 on June 18, 2019. Foot control devices for multiple production pieces of equipment on the production floor had pulled strain relief that compromised the electrical integrity of the strain relief creating a shock hazard.

Issued

Sep 3, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.101(b): "Compressed gases." The in-plant handling, storage, and utilization of all compressed gases in cylinders, portable tanks, rail tankcars, or motor vehicle cargo tanks shall be in accordance with Compressed Gas Association Pamphlet P-1-1965, which is incorporated by reference as specified in Sec. 1910.6.  The employer is failing to protect the employees from fire and explosion hazards in the event integrity was compromised of the cylinder itself.  This was most recently documented at Valmont Industries located at 1600 E 29th Avenue in Columbus, NE 68601 on June 18, 2019. Compressed gas cylinders (2 small 1 pound propane cylinders) were stored with other flammable items (aerosol paints, and solvents), in a flammable cabinet on the production floor in Building 2.

Issued

Sep 3, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.140(c)(18): (18) Personal fall protection systems must be inspected before initial use during each work shift for mildew, wear, damage, and other deterioration, and defective components must be removed from service.   The employer is failing to protect the employees by having equipment inspected prior to employee use.  This was most recently documented at Valmont Industries located at 1600 E 29th Avenue in Columbus, NE 68601 on June 18, 2019 in building #3.  Inspections for fall protection harness's and connecting devices are not being done consistently, specific to the harness being used by manufactured serial number, or other identifying marks prior to use.  Maintenance personnel were performing inspections, but the harness(s) were not uniquely identified on the sign off sheet.  On the production floor an employee was observed wearing fall protection equipment but had not performed an inspection prior to use. Failure to inspect and identify deficiencies could lead to fall hazards.

Issued

Sep 3, 2019

Abate by

Sep 27, 2019

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6)(ii): The employer did not certify that the periodic inspections have been performed.  The employer is failing to ensure Lock out tag out procedures are correct, reviewed on an annual basis for the production floor equipment. This was most recently documented at Valmont Industries located at 1600 E 29th Avenue in Columbus, NE 68601 on June 19, 2019.  Production machines did not have the annual review performed that ensure the correct and adequate steps required in the start-up, and shut down operations that safeguard the employees caught by, struck by, shocked by, electrocuted by, and crushed by hazards.