OSHA Inspection: WISCONSIN ALUMINUM FOUNDRY CO., INC.

Issued

Feb 5, 2021

Abate by

Mar 8, 2021

Penalty

Initial $13,653 · Current $6,826 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.213(c)(1):Each circular hand-fed ripsaw shall be guarded by a hood which shall completely enclose that portion of the saw above the table and that portion of the saw above the material being cut. The hood and mounting shall be arranged so that the hood will automatically adjust itself to the thickness of and remain in contact with the material being cut but it shall not offer any considerable resistance to insertion of material to saw or to passage of the material being sawed. The hood shall be made of adequate strength to resist blows and strains incidental to reasonable operation, adjusting, and handling, and shall be so designed as to protect the operator from flying splinters and broken saw teeth. It shall be made of material that is soft enough so that it will be unlikely to cause tooth breakage. The hood shall be so mounted as to insure that its operation will be positive, reliable, and in true alignment with the saw; and the mounting shall be adequate in strength to resist any reasonable side thrust or other force tending to throw it out of line.  On or about December 15, 2020, an employee was exposed to machine hazards associated with table saws when the guard over the blade on the Dayton Model 3Z997B, 12" Table Saw was removed to cut a piece of wood.

Issued

Feb 5, 2021

Abate by

Mar 8, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.213(c)(2):Each hand-fed circular ripsaw shall be furnished with a spreader to prevent material from squeezing the saw or being thrown back on the operator. The spreader shall be made of hard tempered steel, or its equivalent, and shall be thinner than the saw kerf. It shall be of sufficient width to provide adequate stiffness or rigidity to resist any reasonable side thrust or blow tending to bend or throw it out of position. The spreader shall be attached so that it will remain in true alignment with the saw even when either the saw or table is tilted. The provision of a spreader in connection with grooving, dadoing, or rabbeting is not required. On the completion of such operations, the spreader shall be immediately replaced.  On or about December 22, 2020, employees were exposed to the machine hazards associated with table saws when the Dayton Model 3Z997B, 12" Table Saw in the Pattern shop was not equipped with a spreader to prevent material from squeezing the saw or being thrown back on the operator.

Issued

Feb 5, 2021

Abate by

Mar 8, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.213(c)(3):Each hand-fed circular ripsaw shall be provided with nonkickback fingers or dogs so located as to oppose the thrust or tendency of the saw to pick up the material or to throw it back toward the operator. They shall be designed to provide adequate holding power for all the thicknesses of materials being cut.  On or about December 15, 2020, employees were exposed to the machine hazards associated with table saws when the Dayton Model 3Z997B, 12" Table Saw in the Pattern shop was not equipped with anti-kickback devices or dogs  to prevent material from rising up while cutting or from being thrown backward toward the operators.

Issued

Feb 5, 2021

Penalty

Initial $10,728 · Current $5,364 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.215(a)(4):Work rests. On offhand grinding machines, work rests shall be used to support the work. They shall be of rigid construction and designed to be adjustable to compensate for wheel wear. Work rests shall be kept adjusted closely to the wheel with a maximum opening of one-eighth inch to prevent the work from being jammed between the wheel and the rest, which may cause wheel breakage. The work rest shall be securely clamped after each adjustment. The adjustment shall not be made with the wheel in motion.  On or about December 22, 2020, employees were exposed to potential struck-by hazards when the work rest for the Delta Shopmaster Bench Grinder in the Pattern shop had a three-quarter-inch opening between the rest and the grinding stone.

Issued

Feb 5, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.215(b)(9):Exposure adjustment. Safety guards of the types described in Subparagraphs (3) and (4) of this paragraph, where the operator stands in front of the opening, shall be constructed so that the peripheral protecting member can be adjusted to the constantly decreasing diameter of the wheel. The maximum angular exposure above the horizontal plane of the wheel spindle as specified in paragraphs (b)(3) and (4) of this section shall never be exceeded, and the distance between the wheel periphery and the adjustable tongue or the end of the peripheral member at the top shall never exceed one-fourth inch. (See Figures O-18, O-19, O-20, O-21, O-22, and O-23.)  On or about December 22, 2020, employees were exposed to potential struck-by hazards when the adjustable tongue guard for the Delta Shopmaster Bench Grinder in the Pattern shop was set one-half-inch from the stone grinding stone.

Issued

Feb 5, 2021

Abate by

Mar 8, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.215(d)(1):Inspection. Immediately before mounting, all wheels shall be closely inspected and sounded by the user (ring test) to make sure they have not been damaged in transit, storage, or otherwise. The spindle speed of the machine shall be checked before mounting of the wheel to be certain that it does not exceed the maximum operating speed marked on the wheel. Wheels should be tapped gently with a light nonmetallic implement, such as the handle of a screwdriver for light wheels, or a wooden mallet for heavier wheels. If they sound cracked (dead), they shall not be used. This is known as the "Ring Test".  Employees of Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry were exposed to potential struck-by hazards when a new grinding wheel was installed on the Delta Shopmaster Bench Grinder in the Pattern Shop without an inspection or a ring test to ensure the stone had not been damaged.