OSHA Inspection: HOWARD FERTILIZER & CHEMICAL COMPANY, INC.

Issued

Oct 8, 2020

Abate by

Nov 4, 2020

Penalty

Initial $10,409 · Current $8,454 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 crushed-by and struck-by hazards from Industrial Steel Storage Racks and related palletized loads.   On or about June 08, 2020, at 7205 S.R. 50 EAST, Groveland, FL 34736, within the greens-grade storage area, forklift operator(s) were loading/unloading palletized loads of bagged fertilizer/material to/from Industrial Steel Storage Racks/Pallet Racks, wherein each pallet-load weighed approximately 2,000 pounds, and each shelf supporting two pallets, and during which the racks were found to have been missing load limitation placards and found to have a decreased load capacity due to structural damage, corrosion, defects and/or safety deficiencies caused by improper assembly and/or modifications, resulting in potential structural collapse nor were load application and rack configuration drawings maintained/available for use by an inspecting body/OSHA; therefore exposing the employees to crushed-by and struck-by hazards.

Issued

Oct 8, 2020

Abate by

Nov 4, 2020

Penalty

Initial $12,145 · Current $6,000 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 electric shock/electrocution hazards.  On or about June 08, 2020, at 7205 S.R. 50 EAST, Groveland, FL 34736, in areas throughout the facility/old mill which contained standing water/wet areas, employees were operating cord connected electrically powered industrial equipment and appliances, during which the cord connecter receptacles did not have ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection; therefore exposing the employees to an electric shock/electrocution hazards.

Issued

Oct 8, 2020

Abate by

Nov 4, 2020

Penalty

Initial $12,145 · Current $7,287 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:  On or about June 08, 2020, at 7205 S.R. 50 EAST, Groveland, FL 34736, in areas throughout the facility/old mill, employees were performing, set-up, cleaning, service, maintenance and repairs on fertilizer production and bagging machines, during which the employer had not established an energy control program consisting of energy control procedures, employee training and periodic inspections; therefore exposing the employees to nip, pinch, cut, burn, amputate, crush and struck hazards.

Issued

Oct 8, 2020

Abate by

Nov 4, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii): Procedures did not clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, and techniques to be utilized for the control of hazardous energy, and the means to enforce compliance including, but not limited to, 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(A), (c)(4)(ii)(B), (c)(4)(ii)(C) and (c)(4)(ii)(D):  On or about June 08, 2020, at 7205 S.R. 50 EAST, Groveland, FL 34736, in areas throughout the facility/old mill, employees were performing, set-up, cleaning, service, maintenance and repairs on fertilizer production and bagging machines, during which the employer had not established energy control procedures, that which clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, and techniques to be utilized for the control of hazardous energy, and the means to enforce compliance including, but not limited to, 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(A), (c)(4)(ii)(B), (c)(4)(ii)(C) and (c)(4)(ii)(D); therefore exposing the employees to nip, pinch, cut, burn, amputate, crush and struck hazards.

Issued

Oct 8, 2020

Abate by

Nov 4, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6)(i): The employer did not conduct a periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually to ensure that the procedure and the requirement of this standard were being followed including, but not limited to, 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6)(i)(A), (c)(6)(i)(B), (c)(6)(i)(C), (c)(6)(i)(D) and (c)(6)(ii):  On or about June 08, 2020, at 7205 S.R. 50 EAST, Groveland, FL 34736, in areas throughout the facility/old mill, employees were performing, set-up, cleaning, service, maintenance and repairs on fertilizer production and bagging machines, during which a periodic/annual inspection of the energy control procedures was not conducted at least annually to ensure that the procedure and the requirement of this standard were being followed including, but not limited to, 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6)(i)(A), (c)(6)(i)(B), (c)(6)(i)(C), (c)(6)(i)(D) and (c)(6)(ii): therefore exposing the authorized/affected employee and other employees in the machine area/danger zone to nip, pinch, cut, burn, amputate, crush and struck hazards.

Issued

Oct 8, 2020

Abate by

Nov 4, 2020

Penalty

Initial $12,145 · Current $7,287 Reduced

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 June 08, 2020, at 7205 S.R. 50 EAST, Groveland, FL 34736, in areas throughout the facility/old mill, employees were operating forklifts, during which the employer failed to ensure that the operators of the forklifts had completed/received formal instruction, practical training and evaluation from an Experienced trainer; therefore exposing the operator and the employee on the platform and employees in the work area/pedestrians to a roll-over/crushed-by, fall and struck-by hazard.

Issued

Oct 8, 2020

Abate by

Nov 4, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(2)(iii): All operator training and evaluation was not conducted by persons who have the knowledge, training, and experience to train powered industrial truck operators and evaluate their competence.  On or about June 08, 2020, at 7205 S.R. 50 EAST, Groveland, FL 34736, in areas throughout the facility/old mill, employees were operating forklifts, during which the employer failed to ensure that the operators of the forklifts had completed/received all training and evaluation from an Experienced trainer; therefore exposing the operator and the employee on the platform and employees in the work area/pedestrians to a roll-over/crushed-by, fall and struck-by hazard.

Issued

Oct 8, 2020

Abate by

Nov 4, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(6): The certification did not include the name of the operator, the date of the training, the date of the evaluation, and the identity of the person(s) performing the training or evaluation:  On or about June 08, 2020, at 7205 S.R. 50 EAST, Groveland, FL 34736, in areas throughout the facility/old mill, employees were operating forklifts, during which the employers certification of the operators training and performance evaluation did not include the name of the operator, the date of the training, the date of the evaluation, and the identity of the experienced person(s) performing the training and evaluation; therefore exposing the operator and employees in the work area to a roll-over/crushed-by, fall hazard and struck-by hazard.

Issued

Oct 8, 2020

Abate by

Nov 4, 2020

Penalty

Initial $12,145 · Current $7,287 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(q)(1): Any power-operated industrial truck not in safe operating condition was not taken out of service, and/or repairs were not made by authorized personnel:  On or about June 08, 2020, at 7205 S.R. 50 EAST, Groveland, FL 34736, in areas throughout the facility/old mill, employees were operating forklifts, during which the forklift horns were inoperative; therefore exposing employees to struck-by hazards.

Issued

Oct 8, 2020

Abate by

Nov 4, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7): Industrial trucks were not examined before being placed in service:  On or about June 08, 2020, at 7205 S.R. 50 EAST, Groveland, FL 34736, in areas throughout the facility/old mill, employees were operating forklifts, during which the forklift had not been examined and/or was not examined in conformance with the manufacturers recommendations/operators manual and/or was not examined by a qualified and authorized operator/mechanic to identify conditions affecting the safety of the vehicle, and wherein the forklift horns were inoperative; therefore exposing employees to struck-by hazards.

Issued

Oct 8, 2020

Abate by

Jan 15, 2021

Penalty

Initial $12,145 · Current $7,287 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 June 08, 2020, at 7205 S.R. 50 EAST, Groveland, FL 34736, in the old mill, employees were operating fertilizer production-bagging loader machines, which were not equipped with at least one primary guard; therefore exposing the operators and other employees in the machine area/danger zone to nip, pinch, cut and amputate hazards.  b. On or about June 08, 2020, at 7205 S.R. 50 EAST, Groveland, FL 34736, in the old mill, employees were operating on fertilizer production - bag sealer machines, which were not equipped with at least one primary guard; therefore exposing the operators and other employees in the machine area/danger zone to nip, pinch, burn, cut and amputate hazards.    c. On or about June 08, 2020, at 7205 S.R. 50 EAST, Groveland, FL 34736, in the old mill, employees were operating fertilizer production - wrapper machines, which were not equipped with at least one primary guard; therefore exposing the operators and other employees in the machine area/danger zone to nip, pinch, cut, amputate, crush and struck hazards

Issued

Oct 8, 2020

Abate by

Nov 4, 2020

Penalty

Initial $12,145 · Current $7,287 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(g)(1)(iv): Unless specifically permitted otherwise in paragraph (g)(1)(ii) of this section, flexible cords and cables may not be used for any of the following applications for wiring of a structure including, but not limited to, 29 CFR 1910.305(g)(1)(iv)(A), (g)(1)(iv)(B), (g)(1)(iv)(D) and 305(g)(1)(iv)(E):   On or about June 08, 2020, at 7205 S.R. 50 EAST, Groveland, FL 34736, in the old mill, employees were operating electrically powered stationary industrial machines, equipment and/or appliances, during which flexible cords and/or cables were used in prohibited applications for wiring of a structure/as a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure; therefore exposing the employees to an electric shock/electrocution hazard.

Issued

Oct 8, 2020

Abate by

Nov 4, 2020

Penalty

Initial $974 · Current $584 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. Capacity, operation, and maintenance instruction plates, tags or decals of the powered industrial truck were not changed accordingly:  On or about June 08, 2020, at 7205 S.R. 50 EAST, Groveland, FL 34736, in areas throughout the facility/old mill, employees were operating forklifts with a drum/barrel clamp, during which the employer failed to obtain prior written approval from the forklift manufacturer for the use of the drum/barrel clamp, nor were the forklifts durable corrosion resistant instruction plates, tags, and decals changed accordingly; therefore exposing the operator and employees in the work area to a roll-over/crushed-by and struck-by hazard.

Issued

Oct 8, 2020

Abate by

Nov 4, 2020

Penalty

Initial $974 · Current $584 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(a)(5): The powered industrial truck was equipped with front-end attachments other than factory installed attachments, however the employer did not request that the truck be marked to identify the attachments and show the approximate weight of the truck and attachment combination at maximum elevation with load laterally centered:  On or about June 08, 2020, at 7205 S.R. 50 EAST, Groveland, FL 34736, in areas throughout the facility/old mill, employees were operating forklifts with a drum/barrel clamp, during which the employer failed to marked the truck with durable corrosion resistant instruction plates, tags, and decals to identify the attachments and show the approximate weight of the truck and attachment combination at maximum elevation with load laterally centered; therefore exposing the operator and employees in the work area to a roll-over/crushed-by and struck-by hazard.

Issued

Oct 8, 2020

Abate by

Nov 4, 2020

Penalty

Initial $974 · Current $584 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(a)(6): The employer did not ensure that all nameplates and markings were in place:  On or about June 08, 2020, at 7205 S.R. 50 EAST, Groveland, FL 34736, in areas throughout the facility/old mill, employees were operating forklifts, during which the employer failed to ensure that durable corrosion resistant nameplates, marking, instruction plates, tags, and decals were maintained in a legible condition and were affixed to the; therefore exposing the operator employees in the work area to a roll-over/crushed-by and struck-by hazard.