OSHA Inspection: POLYPLEX USA LLC

Issued

Jun 1, 2020

Penalty

Initial $9,733 · Current $2,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(d)(2): Hazardous conditions on walking-working surfaces were not corrected or repaired before an employee used the walking-working surface:  (a) On or about January 25, 2020 - Offline grinding pit, an employee was exposed to slip hazards when the platform next to the offline grinder was too small to maintain balance when used while rotating the grinding blades with a 2x4.

Issued

Jun 1, 2020

Abate by

Jan 31, 2022

Penalty

Initial $6,489 · Current $4,500 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:  (a) On or about February 03, 2020 - Grinding area, offline grinder, procedures were not developed, documented, and utilized for clearing jams exposing employees to struck-by hazards when removing a plug in the grinder.

Issued

Jun 1, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(f)(3)(ii)(D): Each authorized employee did not affix a personal lockout or tagout device to the group lockout device before working on the machine or equipment:  (a) On or about January 25, 2020 - Offline grinder pit, employees were exposed to struck-by hazards when there was no group lockout procedure used when clearing a material jam in the offline grinder.

Issued

Jun 1, 2020

Abate by

Jan 31, 2022

Penalty

Initial $1,622 · Current $1,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1904.29(b)(1): A Log of all recordable work-related injuries and illnesses (OSHA Form 300 or equivalent) was not completed in the detail as required by the regulation:  (a) On or about February 03, 2020 - 2020 log, case no. 1 dated 01/25/2020 was classified as Job Transfer or Restriction with no days of On Job Transfer or Restriction.  The injury column had not been checked.  Page totals had not been calculated.  (b) On or about February 03, 2020 - 2020 log, case no. 2 dated 01/25/2020 was classified as Job Transfer or Restriction with no days of On Job Transfer or Restriction.  The injury column had not been checked.  Page totals had not been calculated.

Issued

Jun 1, 2020

Abate by

Jan 31, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1904.29(b)(2): The employer did not fill out or correctly fill out an OSHA Form 301 or equivalent for each recordable injury or illness:  (a) On or about February 03, 2020 - Facility, the employer had not completed the OSHA Form 301 or equivalent for Case No. 2 on the OSHA 300 log.    (b) On or about February 03, 2020 - Facility, the equivalent forms for Case No. 1 did not include details such as, but not limited to, the injury (amputation) and the OSHA 300 log Case No.

Issued

Jun 1, 2020

Abate by

Jun 25, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $2,000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(B): The energy control procedures did not clearly and specifically outline the steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy:  (a) On or about February 03, 2020 - Grinding areas, employees were exposed to struck-by hazards when lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures such as, but not limited to, Offline Grinder Feeder (PPX-975), Offline Grinder Motor (PPX-072), Offline Conveying Blower (PPX-973), and Offline Grinder Hydraulic Motor (PPX-974) did not clearly or specifically describe how to shut down the equipment prior to LOTO.  Each procedure said the following:  Ensure grinder has come to a complete stop before proceeding.  No information on how to shut down the grinder so that it would come to a complete stop was provided in the procedures.

Issued

Jun 1, 2020

Abate by

Jun 25, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(C): The energy control procedure did not clearly and specifically outline the steps for placement, removal and transfer of lockout devices or tagout devices and the responsibility for them:  (a) On or about February 03, 2020 - Grinding areas, employees were exposed to struck-by hazards when lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures such as, but not limited to, Offline Grinder Feeder (PPX-975), Offline Grinder Motor (PPX-072), Offline Conveying Blower (PPX-973), and Offline Grinder Hydraulic Motor (PPX-974) did not clearly or specifically describe the order that locks were to be installed, the order that locks were to be removed, and how these procedures related to each other when all of these procedures were required to be followed in order to clear an offline grinder jam in the pit/basement.

Issued

Jun 1, 2020

Abate by

Jan 31, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(D): The energy control procedures did not clearly and specifically outline the requirements for testing a machine or equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of lockout devices, tagout devices, and other energy control measures:  (a) On or about February 03, 2020 - Grinding areas, employees were exposed to struck-by hazards when a lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedure such as, but not limited to, the Erema Offline Grinder Operation (PU-WI-PET-EOLG-001) did not specify how to verify that the lock placed on the main control panel cabinet was effective.   Lockout/tagout procedures such as, but not limited to, Offline Grinder Feeder (PPX-975), Offline Grinder Motor (PPX-072), Offline Conveying Blower (PPX-973), and Offline Grinder Hydraulic Motor (PPX-974) did not clearly or specifically describe how to attempt to restart the machines.

Issued

Jun 1, 2020

Abate by

Jan 31, 2022

Penalty

Initial $6,489 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(i): The employer did not provide adequate training to ensure that employees acquired the knowledge and skills required for the safe application, usage and removal of energy control devices:  (a) On or about February 03, 2020 - Grinding area, employees were exposed to struck-by hazards when no lockout or group lockout was performed when opening the offline grinder in order to remove a material plug.  Available written lockout/tagout procedures for the offline grinder were inadequate.  Lockout/tagout training was provided on an Erema grinder with significantly fewer steps required to lockout compared to the offline grinder.