OSHA Inspection: H L FOSTER CO., INC

Issued

Mar 16, 2021

Abate by

Nov 1, 2021

Penalty

Initial $3,901 · Current $1,951 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:   154 Agawam Ave, West Springfield, MA:  As of December 22, 2020, the employer had not instituted an energy control program to ensure outside maintenance contractors and the employer's employees were not exposed to the hazards of uncontrolled energy when performing set up, maintenance, and servicing on machines including but not limited to the Alligator shear machine. There were no energy control procedures for multi-energy source machines, no training for all employees who entered areas where energy control was to be used to ensure they understood their responsibilities under the program, and no periodic inspections performed that ensured each procedure was inspected for inaccuracies during an actual energy control task. Additionally, the employer did not ensure that the inspector reviewed each authorized employee's responsibilities under each energy control procedure they were authorized to use.

Issued

Mar 16, 2021

Abate by

Nov 1, 2021

Penalty

Initial $5,461 · Current $2,731 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.212(a)(3)(ii):Point(s) of operation of machinery were not guarded to prevent employee(s) from having any part of their body in the danger zone(s) during operating cycle(s):    154 Agawam Ave, West Springfield, MA:  On December 18, 2020 and at times prior, employees operated an alligator shear that was incompletely guarded by a metal cage that did not prevent the operator from reaching into the cutting area when the shear was operated.  On October 12, 2020, an employee operating the shear received finger amputation injuries.

Issued

Mar 16, 2021

Abate by

Nov 1, 2021

Penalty

Initial $780 · Current $780

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1904.4(a):The employer did not record each work-related fatality, injury or illness case that resulted in the general recording criteria on the OSHA Form 300 or equivalent.  154 Agawam Ave, West Springfield, MA:  On December 18, 2020 and for multiple years prior, the employer had not recorded work-related injuries or illnesses on the OSHA Form 300 or equivalent including not having recorded the October 12, 2020 amputation injury that resulted in numerous days away from work.

Issued

Mar 16, 2021

Abate by

Nov 1, 2021

Penalty

Initial $3,901 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1904.39(a)(2):The employer did not report within 24-hours a work-related incident resulting in in-patient hospitalization, amputation or the loss of an eye. 154 Agawam Ave, West Springfield, MA:  On December 18, 2020 at the opening of the inspection, the employer had not reported to OSHA that on October 12, 2020 an employee had received a work-related amputation injury.