OSHA Inspection: HUEBER L.L.C.

Issued

Nov 22, 2021

Abate by

Dec 30, 2021

Penalty

Initial $7,510 · Current $4,750 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(d)(1): The employer must ensure that walking-working surfaces are inspected, regularly and as necessary, and maintained in a safe condition:  Rock Falls animal feed mill - on or about July 15, 2021, walking-working surfaces were not regularly inspected and maintained in safe conditions. Employees were exposed to falls likely to result in serious injury due to unsafe access and egress to and from surfaces, missing or incomplete guardrails, and floor/platform holes/openings, etc.  Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(d).

Issued

Nov 22, 2021

Penalty

Initial $7,510 · Current $4,750 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.28(b)(1)(i): (1) Unprotected sides and edges. (i) Except as provided elsewhere in this section, the employer must ensure that each employee on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge that is 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level is protected from falling by one or more of the following:    Guardrail systems per 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1)(i)(A); Safety net systems per 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1)(i)(B); or Personal fall protection systems, such as personal fall arrest, travel restraint, or positioning systems per 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1)(i)(C)  (a) Roof area over the wooden bins, from the fixed ladder access - on or about July 15, 2021, the employer failed to ensure that fall protection systems were provided at the unprotected edges of the roof. Employees walking to/from the fixed ladder to access other structures and equipment above the roof were exposed to at least twelve foot fall hazard to the lower roof.   (b) Pellet mill room, pellet cooler - on or about July 15, 2021, the employer failed to ensure that fall protection systems were provided at the unprotected edges of the floor by the pellet cooler. Employees working in the area and walking by were exposed to eight foot fall hazard to the basement below. Structural diagonal cross braces were not substitutes for compliant fall protection systems.  (c) Aisle between mill room and warehouse No. 3: the employer failed to ensure that fall protection systems were provided at each unprotected edge of the floor. Employees working in the area and walking by were exposed to eight foot fall hazard to the basement below. A single horizontal rail at about 32 inches above the floor was not a substitute for compliant top and mid rail heights.  There is no abatement certification or documentation required for these items.

Issued

Nov 22, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.28(b)(3)(iv): (3) Holes. The employer must ensure: (iv) Each employee is protected from falling into a ladderway floor hole or ladderway platform hole by a guardrail system and toeboards erected on all exposed sides, except at the entrance to the hole, where a self-closing gate or an offset must be used;  Pellet mill room, finished product leg, vertical fixed ladder - on or about July 15, 2021, the ladderway's platform/floor hole was not protected against an employee inadvertently stepping into it by guardrails with a self-closing gate or an offset. An employee performing housekeeping tasks in the area was exposed to at least 20 foot fall hazards likely to result in serious injury.  There is no abatement certification or documentation required for this item.

Issued

Nov 22, 2021

Abate by

Dec 30, 2021

Penalty

Initial $7,510 · Current $4,750 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.30(a)(3): (3) The employer must train each employee in at least the following topics:   - The nature of the fall hazards in the work area and how to recognize them [per 29 CFR 1910.30(a)(3)(i)];  - The procedures to be followed to minimize those hazards [per 29 CFR 1910.30(a)(3)(ii)];  - The correct procedures for installing, inspecting, operating, maintaining, and disassembling the personal fall protection systems that the employee uses [per 29 CFR 1910.30(a)(3)(iii)]; and, - The correct use of personal fall protection systems and equipment specified in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, including, but not limited to, proper hook-up, anchoring, and tie-off techniques, and methods of equipment inspection and storage, as specified by the manufacturer [per 29 CFR1910.30(a)(3)(iv)].  Plant, inside wooden bins - on or about July 15, 2021, the employer failed to provide a comprehensive fall protection training by a qualified person in workplace-specific fall hazards (for requirements listed above) and feasible fall protection methods for those areas and tasks the personnel was expected to work at and perform. Employees working inside of wooden bins were exposed to fall hazards because they did not know how to apply fall protection system to ensure compliant safety.  Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(d).

Issued

Nov 22, 2021

Abate by

Dec 30, 2021

Penalty

Initial $7,510 · Current $4,750 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.146(c)(4): When the employer decided that its employees would enter permit spaces, the employer did not develop and implement a written permit space entry program that complied with 29 CFR 1910.146:   Throughout the plant, inside wooden bins - on or about July 15, 2021, the permit-required confined space program was not developed and implemented in the workplace. Employees were exposed to engulfment and mechanical caught-in hazards likely to result in serious injury when entering inside of bins.  Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(d).

Issued

Nov 22, 2021

Abate by

Dec 30, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(1): Energy control program. The employer shall establish a program consisting of energy control procedures, employee training and periodic inspections to ensure that before any employee performs 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.  Throughout the plant, inside wooden bins - on or about July 15, 2021, the control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) program was not developed and implemented in the workplace. Employees were exposed to caught-in hazards likely to result in serious injury when equipment was not de-energized during maintenance and servicing tasks.  Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(d).

Issued

Nov 22, 2021

Abate by

Dec 30, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.272(g)(1): The following actions shall be taken before employees enter bins, silos, or tanks:  - The employer shall issue a permit for entering bins per 29 CFR 1910.272(g)(1)(i); - Equipment which presents a danger to employees inside grain storage structures shall be locked out per 29 CFR 1910.272(g)(1)(ii); - The atmosphere within a bin shall be tested for the presence of combustible gases, vapors, toxic agents, and oxygen content per 29 CFR 1910.272(g)(1)(iii), and if needed, to comply with ventilation per 29 CFR 1910.272(g)(1)(iii)(A), and respiratory protection per 29 CFR 1910.272(g)(1)(iii)(B); and, - "Walking down grain" shall be prohibited per 29 CFR 1910.272(g)(1)(iv).  Inside wooden bins - on or about July 15, 2021, safe bin entry procedures were not developed and implemented in the workplace. Employees assigned to enter bins to break up wheat middlings were exposed to engulfment and mechanical caught-in hazards likely to result in serious injury.  Abatement documentation is required for this item in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1903.19(d).

Issued

Nov 22, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.28(b)(11)(ii): Each flight of stairs having at least 3 treads and at least 4 risers is equipped with stair rail systems and handrails as follows: when stair width is less than 44 inches, one stair rail system with handrail on open side is required per Table D-2 Stairway Handrail Requirements.  Stairway from the warehouse (lower level) to the upper level wooden bins' access - on or about July 15, 2021, a compliant stair rail system was not installed on the open side of the stairs that were less than 44 inches wide, and used by employees for access and egress between the two levels.   There is no abatement certification or documentation required for this item.

Issued

Nov 22, 2021

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.178(l)(1)(ii): Prior to permitting an employee to operate a powered industrial truck (except for training purposes), the employer shall ensure that each operator has successfully completed the training required by this paragraph (l), except as permitted by paragraph (l)(5).   On or about July 15, 2021, the employer failed to ensure that the compliant forklift operator's training  in truck-related and workplace-related topics with evaluations were provided to personnel assigned to regular material handling tasks.   There is no abatement certification or documentation required for this item.