OSHA Inspection: PALLET DISTRIBUTORS INC.

Issued

Dec 7, 2021

Abate by

Dec 27, 2021

Penalty

Initial $5,266 · Current $2,523 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.132(d)(1):The employer shall assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).   a. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Old Recycle Shop, the employer did not conduct a PPE hazard assessment of the sidewinder machine operations in order to identify hazards present, such as, but not limited to flying metal and wood chips while employees fed pallets through the machine.

Issued

Dec 7, 2021

Abate by

Dec 27, 2021

Penalty

Initial $8,778 · Current $6,035 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(4)(i):Procedures shall be developed, documented and utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees are engaged in the activities covered by this section.   a. On or about October 26, 2021, in the Cut Shop, employees were replacing a broken band saw blade on the Brewco 3 Head Band Saw Line. The employer did not develop and implement a written energy control procedure for the line, thereby exposing employees to caught-in and/or struck-by hazards.

Issued

Dec 7, 2021

Abate by

Dec 27, 2021

Penalty

Initial $12,288 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(d): The established procedures for the application of energy control (the lockout or tagout procedures) was not done in sequence as required by 29 CFR 1910.147(d)(1) through (d)(6):  a. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, an employee was exposed to machine hazards associated with moving parts and in-going nip points while unjamming boards in the Timberland stacker machine. The employer did not implement energy control application steps as the machine was not shut down and turned off to perform the 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)] and verification of isolation [(d)(6)], were not implemented to protect the employee from machine servicing hazards.

Issued

Dec 7, 2021

Abate by

Dec 27, 2021

Penalty

Initial $12,288 · Current $9,545 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.212(a)(1):Types of guarding. One or more methods of machine guarding shall be provided to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as those created by point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks. Examples of guarding methods are-barrier guards, two-hand tripping devices, electronic safety devices, etc.  a. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Old Recycle Shop, employees were exposed to a horizontal bandsaw blade and flying metal shavings while operating a Sidewinder saw to dismantle used pallets due to inadequate guarding on the loading side of the saw.   b. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, employees operating the Brewco single head saw were exposed to a caught-in hazard due to an unguarded hold down sprocket at the planer.   c. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, employees operating the Brewco triple head saw line were exposed to caught-in hazards due to unguarded hold down sprockets on each side of the saws.  d. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, employees were exposed to a struck-by hazard at the Brewco triple head saw line as a result of a hydraulic pump cooling fan that had an large openings in the guarding.  e. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Pallet Shop, employees loading the Viking Nailer, Model 505, Machine number 694M on Line 2 were exposed to an unguarded shear point between the shuttle plate and the table adjacent the work platform.   f. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Pallet Shop, employees loading the Viking Nailer, Model 505, Machine number 925M on Line 3 were exposed to an unguarded shear point between the shuttle plate and the table adjacent the work platform.

Issued

Dec 7, 2021

Abate by

Dec 27, 2021

Penalty

Initial $12,288 · Current $9,545 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.213(a)(12):For all circular saws where conditions are such that there is a possibility of contact with the portion of the saw either beneath or behind the table, that portion of the saw shall be covered with an exhaust hood, or, if no exhaust system is required, with a guard that shall be so arranged as to prevent accidental contact with the saw.  a. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Old Recycle Shop,  the employer did not ensure that employees were protected from contacting the cutting blades on the Morgan Saw Company double end trim saw, thereby exposing employees to a caught-in hazard.

Issued

Dec 7, 2021

Penalty

Initial $12,288 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.213(b)(6):Each operating treadle shall be protected against unexpected or accidental tripping.  a. On or about October 12, 2021, in the Cut Shop, employees were operating a Brewco Speed Cut upcut saw with an unguarded foot treadle, thereby exposing employees to a caught-in hazard.

Issued

Dec 7, 2021

Abate by

Apr 1, 2022

Penalty

Initial $12,288 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.213(r)(4):The mention of specific machines in paragraphs (a) thru (q) and this paragraph (r) of this section, inclusive, is not intended to exclude other woodworking machines from the requirement that suitable guards and exhaust hoods be provided to reduce to a minimum the hazard due to the point of operation of such machines.  a. On or about October 12, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, the employer did not ensure that the point of operation of the Brewco Speed Cut upcut saw was adequately guarded to protect employees from being caught-in the saw while cutting.   b. On or about October 26, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, the employer did not ensure that the point of operation of the Northtech Machine upcut saw was adequately guarded to protect employees from being caught-in the saw while cutting.

Issued

Dec 7, 2021

Abate by

Dec 27, 2021

Penalty

Initial $8,778 · Current $6,035 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.219(c)(2)(i):All exposed parts of horizontal shafting seven (7) feet or less from floor or working platform, excepting runways used exclusively for oiling, or running adjustments, shall be protected by a stationary casing enclosing shafting completely or by a trough enclosing sides and top or sides and bottom of shafting as location requires.  a. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, employees were exposed to an unguarded shaft on the bottom of the Timberland stacker machine, thereby exposing employees to a caught-in hazard.   b. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Old Recycle Shop, employees were exposed to an unguarded shaft at the exit end of the Morgan double end trim saw, thereby exposing employees to a caught-in hazard.  c. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, employees were exposed to an unguarded shaft on the small belt conveyor that transferred boards from the Brewco upcut saw exit conveyor to the Brewco single head saw chain conveyor, thereby exposing employees to a caught-in hazard.   d. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, employees were exposed to an unguarded shaft on the Brewco single head saw chain conveyor adjacent the belt conveyor, thereby exposing employees to a caught-in hazard.  e. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, employees were exposed to an unguarded shaft at the drive motor on a belt conveyor alongside the Brewco triple head saw line that returned boards to be resawn, thereby exposing employees to a caught-in hazard.   f. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, employees were exposed to an unguarded shaft at the drive motor on the belt conveyor at the exit end of the Brewco triple head saw line where employees stacked the boards, thereby exposing employees to a caught-in hazard.   g. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, employees were exposed to an unguarded shaft below the chain conveyor at the loading area of the Brewco triple head saw line, thereby exposing employees to a caught-in hazard.

Issued

Dec 7, 2021

Abate by

Dec 27, 2021

Penalty

Initial $7,022 · Current $4,279 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.219(c)(4)(i):Projecting shaft ends shall present a smooth edge and end and shall not project more than one-half the diameter of the shaft unless guarded by nonrotating caps or safety sleeves.  a. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, employees were exposed to unguarded shaft ends on the conveyors that transferred boards from the Brewco upcut saw to the Brewco single head saw, thereby exposing employees to a caught-in hazard.   b. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, employees were exposed to an unguarded shaft end on an incline belt conveyor alongside the Brewco triple head saw line that returned boards to be resawn, thereby exposing employees to a caught-in hazard.  c. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, employees were exposed to an unguarded shaft end on the exit end of the Brewco single head saw conveyor, thereby exposing employees to a caught-in hazard.   d. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, employees were exposed to unguarded shaft ends at the Brewco triple head saw line where boards were loaded onto the belt conveyor to be transported back to the saw to be resawn, thereby exposing employees to caught-in hazards.

Issued

Dec 7, 2021

Abate by

Dec 27, 2021

Penalty

Initial $8,778 · Current $6,035 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.219(f)(3):Sprockets and chains. All sprocket wheels and chains shall be enclosed unless they are more than seven (7) feet above the floor or platform. Where the drive extends over other machine or working areas, protection against falling shall be provided. This subparagraph does not apply to manually operated sprockets.  a. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, employees were exposed to unguarded sprockets and chain below the chain conveyor at the loading area of the Brewco triple head saw line, thereby exposing employees to caught-in hazards.  b. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Old Recycle Shop, employees were exposed to an unguarded nip point as result of unguarded sprockets on the underside of the feed chains while loading boards into the saw, thereby exposing employees to caught-in hazards.   c. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Pallet Shop, employees were exposed to unguarded chain and sprockets at the Line 2 pallet stacker, thereby exposing employees to caught-in hazards.

Issued

Dec 7, 2021

Abate by

Dec 27, 2021

Penalty

Initial $8,778 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.305(b)(1)(i):Conductors entering cutout boxes, cabinets, or fittings shall be protected from abrasion, and openings through which conductors enter shall be effectively closed.  a. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, employees were exposed to an electrical shock hazard as a result of a flexible conduit fitting pulled from the control panel and an unused knockout opening at the Timberline stacker machine.   b. On or about October 18, 2021, located in the Cut Shop, employees were exposed to an electrical shock hazard as a result of a damaged flexible conduit above the Brewco single head planer motor.