OSHA Inspection: EL ABUELITO CHEESE INC.

Issued

Dec 23, 2020

Penalty

Initial $9,446 · Current $6,612 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.28(b)(1)(i): The employer did not ensure that each employee on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge that was 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level was protected from falling by one or more of the following:  Guardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems:  a) At the facility, 607 Main Street - 2nd floor: Employees were exposed to an approximately 9 foot  fall hazard throughout the day while retrieving merchandise from a walking-working surface that was not protected by a personal fall arrest system, guardrail system or any other means of fall protection, on or about 6/30/20.

Issued

Dec 23, 2020

Penalty

Initial $5,398 · Current $3,779 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.37(a)(3): Exit routes were not free and unobstructed. Materials or equipment were placed, either permanently or temporarily, within the exit route.   a) At the facility, 607 Main Street, Paterson NJ - Production Area: Employees were exposed to fire hazards, when the exit route was not free and unobstructed in the Production Area. Fire exit route was blocked by carts, on or about 6/30/20.

Issued

Dec 23, 2020

Abate by

Jan 21, 2021

Penalty

Initial $5,398 · Current $3,779 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.132(a): Protective equipment was not used when necessary whenever hazards capable of causing injury and impairment were encountered:  a) At the facility, 607 Main Street, Paterson NJ - Production Area: Employees were provided and required to wear gloves made of Vinyl and Polyethylene while using chemicals such as, but not limited to Sodium Hydroxide (pH:12).  The employer did not provide the appropriate hand protection for employees while working with a corrosive chemical,  on or about 6/28/2020, and thereafter.

Issued

Dec 23, 2020

Penalty

Initial $5,398 · Current $3,779 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(1)(i): The employer did not ensure that each powered industrial truck operator was competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely, as demonstrated by the successful completion of the training and evaluation specified in this paragraph (l):  a) At the facility, 607 Main Street, Paterson, NJ - Warehouse: An employee was allowed to operate a powered industrial truck without successful completion of training or evaluation, on or about 6/30/2020.

Issued

Dec 23, 2020

Penalty

Initial $5,398 · Current $3,779 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(g)(1): Sufficient access and working space was not provided and maintained about all electric equipment (operating at 600 volts, nominal, or less to ground) to permit ready and safe operation and maintenance of such equipment:  (a) At the facility, 607 Main Street, Paterson, NJ - Warehouse Electrical Room: A battery charger and other items were stored in front of an electrical panel, blocking access to the panel box operating at 208 volts, on or about 6/30/20.  b) At the facility, 607 Main Street, Paterson, NJ - 2nd floor electrical panel box: Boxes and other items were stored in front of an electrical panel operating at 208 volts, on or about 6/30/20.

Issued

Dec 23, 2020

Abate by

Jan 21, 2021

Penalty

Initial $5,398 · Current $3,779 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(e)(1): Employer had not developed or implemented a written hazard communication program included the requirements outlined in 29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1)(i) and (e)(1)(ii):   a) A the facility, 607 Main Street, Paterson, NJ - Production Area: The employer did not develop or implement a written Hazard Communication Program for employees who cleaned machines used to manufacture cheese. The materials and cleaning agents used by employees contained hazardous chemicals including, but not limited to Sodium Hydroxide (pH: 12 - caustic).  Violation occurred on 6/28/20 and thereafter.

Issued

Dec 23, 2020

Abate by

Jan 21, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1): Employer did not provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment, and whenever a new physical or health hazard the employees have not previously been trained about is introduced into their work area. Information and training may be designed to cover categories of hazards (e.g., flammability, carcinogenicity) or specific chemicals. Chemical-specific information must always be available through labels and material safety data sheets.  At the facility, 607 Main Street, Paterson, NJ - Production Area: Employees cleaned machines used to manufacture cheese using cleaning agents that contained hazardous chemicals including, but not limited to Sodium Hydroxide (pH: 12 - caustic). Effective Hazard Communication training was not provided to all employees who work with or around the hazardous chemicals, on or about 6/28/20 and thereafter.

Issued

Dec 23, 2020

Abate by

Feb 11, 2021

Penalty

Initial $94,456 · Current $66,119 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(1): The employer did not establish a program consisting of energy control procedures, 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) At the facility, 607 Main Street, Paterson, NJ - Operation Area: Employer did not establish a program consisting of energy control procedures, employee training and periodic inspections to ensure that before any employee performed servicing or maintenance on a Chesses Kneader "Malaxadora" where the unexpected energizing, startup or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, the machine was isolated from the energy source and rendered inoperative, on or about 6/28/20.

Issued

Dec 23, 2020

Abate by

Jan 21, 2021

Penalty

Initial $94,456 · Current $66,119 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) At the facility, 607 Main Street, Paterson, NJ - Production Area Kneader Machine: Energy control procedures were not developed, documented, or utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy while an employee was engaged in pushing cheese towards the front of the Chesses Kneader "Malaxadora" while the machine was operating, on or about 6/28/20.

Issued

Dec 23, 2020

Penalty

Initial $1,350 · Current $945 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) At the facility, 607 Main Street, Paterson, NJ - Building Office: A Log of all recordable work-related injuries and illnesses (OSHA Form 300 or equivalent) was not complete by 7/7/20 or thereafter, when the accident resulting in an injury took place on or about 6/28/20.

Issued

Dec 23, 2020

Penalty

Initial $757 · Current $530 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.145(f)(3): Tags were not used as a means to prevent accidental injury or illness to employees who were exposed to hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions, equipment or operations which were out of the ordinary, unexpected or not readily:  a) At the facility 607 Main Street, Paterson NJ - Production Area: Tags/stickers were not used as a means to prevent accidental injury to employees who were exposed to hazards or potentially hazardous conditions, resulting in an injury, on or about 6/28/20.