OSHA Inspection: NATURAL COUNTRY FARMS, INC.

Issued

Mar 25, 2022

Abate by

May 11, 2022

Penalty

Initial $8,287 · Current $3,000 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 was free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to struck by and crushing hazards.  These hazards were created by remote and or automatically actuated conveyors that had no pre-start up warning devices to warn employees before the conveyors started and no emergency stop devices to stop the conveyors in the event of employees getting caught in or between in-going nip points on the conveyors:  Cup Room and C & D Cup Robot Area:   On or about September 27, 2021, and sometime thereafter, employees were exposed to caught-in or nip point hazards while they performed operations that were not in accordance with ANSI B20.1-2009. Operations included, but were not limited to, maintaining and unjamming material on the C and D line conveyors that were not provided with  pre-start up warning devices, adequate visibility, and emergency stopping devices:  a) The e-stop on the pedestal for the robot in the C & D Line Robot Cup Area did not stop the transfer conveyor in the Cup Room where visibility of the conveyors in the cage were obstructed for operators that started the conveyors from the C & D Line Robot Cup Area control station. b) Warnings such as an alarm were not provided at the transfer point of the conveyor as observed when the C line was started from the Cup Room even though the robot was off. c) Remotely and automatically controlled conveyors were not furnished with emergency stop devices that were in the immediate vicinity as seen with the emergency switch on the exterior of the C line transfer conveyor, which required the operator to risk reaching over the conveyor to activate the device in the event of an emergency.

Issued

Mar 25, 2022

Abate by

May 11, 2022

Penalty

Initial $6,215 · Current $2,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(5)(ii)(C)(1):Lockout devices were not substantial enough to prevent removal without the use of excessive force or unusual techniques, such as with the use of bolt cutters or other metal cutting tools:  Cup Robot C & D area:  On or about September 27, 2021, and sometime thereafter,  lockout devices including non-locking carabiners, were used to prevent employee access to energized machines such as the C&D conveyors and the palletizing robot (model FANUC Robot M-410 IB160) and were not  substantial enough to minimize the likelihood of early or accidental removal.

Issued

Mar 25, 2022

Abate by

May 11, 2022

Penalty

Initial $6,215 · Current $2,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(7)(i): The employer did not provide adequate training to ensure that the purpose and function of the energy control program was understood by employees:   Cup Robot C & D area:  On or about September 27, 2021, and sometime thereafter, the employer did not ensure that the purpose and functions of the energy control program were understood by employees regardless of their primary language.

Issued

Mar 25, 2022

Abate by

May 11, 2022

Penalty

Initial $145,027 · Current $58,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(4)(ii): The energy control procedures did not clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, and techniques to be utilized for the control of hazardous energy, including, but not limited to Items of this section:   Production floor:  On or about, September 27, 2021, and sometime thereafter, the employer did not ensure that energy control procedures clearly outlined the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, and techniques to be utilized for the control of hazardous energy while operating energized machines and/or equipment that included, but were not limited to, procedures where a palletizing robot and its surrounding conveyor lines remain energized without being properly locked out before employees perform service and/or maintenance during their regular duties in the Cup Robot Area.   a) Cup Robot C & D Area: a palletizing robot and conveyor lines in an interlocked guarded cage  b) Cup Room: two rotary cup filling machines (known as Cup Filler C and Cup Filler D), robotic case packers, and C and D conveyer lines c) Caser Area: EH2 Caser and EH3 Caser conveyor lines and EH/ECO elevators

Issued

Mar 25, 2022

Abate by

May 11, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(d): The established procedure for the application of energy control (the lockout or tagout procedures) did not cover the actions listed in and was not done in sequence as required by 29 CFR 1910.147(d)(1)-(6):   Production floor:  a) C & D Cup Robot area and Cup Room: On or about September 27, 2021, employees were exposed to machine hazards when they gained access to the palletizing robot without shutting down or disabling the machine so to prevent the reset of machine parameters. Instead, employees were required to use complimentary equipment (i.e., emergency stop devices) as safeguards. Also, employees performing operations with and near energized conveyor systems, in conjunction with the palletizing robot, were required to place parts of their bodies into areas on the machine where work was being performed on materials without shut-off mechanisms in place. The employer failed to implement energy control application steps as the machine was not shut down or turned off to perform the servicing work [per the 1910.147(d)(2) requirements]. As a result, the remaining applicable energy control elements, involving machine isolation [(d)(3)], LOTO device application [(d)(4)], dissipation of residual energy [(d)(5)(i)], and verification of isolation [(d)(6)], were not implemented to protect employees from machine servicing hazards.  b) Caser Area: On or about September 27, 2021, employees performing operations with and near energized conveyor systems were required to place parts of their body into areas on a machine where work is being performed on materials by performing tasks including, but not limited to, clearing jams while the machine was still energized during the operating cycle. The employer failed to implement energy control application steps as the machine was not shut down or turned off to perform the servicing work [per the 1910.147(d)(2) requirements]. As a result, the remaining applicable energy control elements, involving machine isolation [(d)(3)], LOTO device application [(d)(4)], dissipation of residual energy [(d)(5)(i)], and verification of isolation [(d)(6)], were not implemented to protect employees from machine servicing hazards.

Issued

Mar 25, 2022

Abate by

May 11, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.303(b)(2): Listed or labeled electrical equipment was not used or installed in accordance with instructions included in the listing or labeling:  C & D Cup Robot Area:  On or about September 27, 2021, the employer installed a threaded bolt to create a lockout point that was not consistent with the labeling instructions on the electrical enclosure.  The bolt was not part of the wiring or approved connections and the box has been modified.