OSHA Inspection: OLDCASTLE APG INC. DBA OLDCASTLE LAWN & GARDEN

Issued

Jul 15, 2022

Abate by

May 28, 2024

Penalty

Initial $14,502 · Current $12,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(c): Access and egress. The employer must provide and ensure each employee uses a safe means of access and egress to and from walking-working surfaces.  a) On or about February 25, 2022, no safe means was provided for line operators to access and egress the Line 2 Nova Hopper to perform cleaning of the hopper in that employees have to climbing over the conveyor and feeder to access and egress the top cover of the feeder.  b) On or about February 25, 2022, no safe means was provided for line operators to access and egress the Line 2 Nova Hopper to perform cleaning inside the hopper in that which was accessed by climbing over the conveyor, feeder, and hopper wall to access and egress the inside of the hopper.

Issued

Jul 15, 2022

Abate by

May 28, 2024

Penalty

Initial $14,502 · Current $0 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:  (A) Guardrail systems; (B) Safety net systems; or (C) Personal fall protection systems, such as personal fall arrest, travel restraint, or positioning systems.   a) On or about March 2, 2022, line operators standing on the feeder cover on Line 2 Nova Hopper to perform cleaning of the hopper were exposed to unprotected sides and edges that were 7 feet from the ground.

Issued

Jul 15, 2022

Abate by

May 28, 2024

Penalty

Initial $14,502 · Current $12,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.28(b)(6)(ii): Each employee 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above dangerous equipment must be protected from falling by: (A) Guardrail systems; (B) Safety net systems; (C) Travel restraint systems; or (D) Personal fall arrest systems.  a) On or about February 25, 2022, a line operator fell onto the moving infeed conveyor from the feeder on Line 2 Nova Hopper and their lower leg and ankle were trapped between the wing pulley and the belt conveyor. The feeder was 4 feet and 7 inches above the conveyor. The line operator had been climbing down from cleaning the inside of the hopper.  b) On or about February 25, 2022, line operators were exposed to falling onto the moving infeed conveyor and becoming caught between wing pulley and belt conveyor on Line 2 Nova Hopper when accessing and egressing from the top of the wall at the feeder to perform cleaning inside the hopper, which was more than 9 feet above the conveyor. Employees were required to climb over the conveyor while it was operating to clean out the hopper.

Issued

Jul 15, 2022

Abate by

May 28, 2024

Penalty

Initial $14,502 · Current $12,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.30(a)(1): Fall hazards. Before any employee is exposed to a fall hazard, the employer must provide training for each employee who uses personal fall protection systems or who is required to be trained as specified elsewhere in this subpart. Employers must ensure employees are trained in the requirements of this paragraph on or before May 17, 2017.   a) On or about February 25, 2022, line operators were not provided training on fall hazards, while exposed to a 4 feet 7-inch fall onto a moving conveyor from a feeder cover on the Line 2 Nova Hopper.  b) On or about February 25, 2022, line operators were not provided training on fall hazards, while exposed to a 9 feet fall onto a moving conveyor from the top of the hopper wall on the Line 2 Nova Hopper.  c) On or about February 25, 2022, line operators were not provided training on fall hazards, while exposed to a 5 feet 6-inch fall into a chain drive in the bottom of a hopper from the top of the hopper wall on the Line 2 Nova Hopper.

Issued

Jul 15, 2022

Abate by

May 28, 2024

Penalty

Initial $14,502 · Current $12,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(d)(3): Develop and implement the means, procedures, and practices necessary for safe permit space entry operations, including, but not limited to, the following: (i) Specifying acceptable entry conditions; (iii) Isolating the permit spaces.  a) On or about February 25, 2022, the line operator for Line 2 Nova Hopper, a permit-required confined space, entered the space without implementing the procedures to safely enter the space such as isolating the chain drive.

Issued

Jul 15, 2022

Abate by

May 28, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(d)(4): Provide the following equipment (specified in paragraphs (d)(4)(i) through (d)(4)(ix) of this section) at no cost to employees, maintain that equipment properly, and ensure that employees use that equipment properly: (i) Testing and monitoring equipment needed to comply with paragraph (d)(5) of this section; (ii) Ventilating equipment needed to obtain acceptable entry conditions; (iii) Communications equipment necessary for compliance with paragraphs (h)(3) and (i)(5) of this section; (iv) Personal protective equipment insofar as feasible engineering and work practice controls do not adequately protect employees; (v) Lighting equipment needed to enable employees to see well enough to work safely and to exit the space quickly in an emergency; (vi) Barriers and shields as required by paragraph (d)(3)(v) of this section. (vii) Equipment, such as ladders, needed for safe ingress and egress by authorized entrants; (viii) Rescue and emergency equipment needed to comply with paragraph (d)(9) of this section, except to the extent that the equipment is provided by rescue services; and (ix) Any other equipment necessary for safe entry into and rescue from permit spaces.  a) On or about February 25, 2022, the employer did not provide equipment such as but not limited to personal protective equipment, ladders, and rescue equipment for line operators entering the Line 2 Nova Hopper, a permit-required confined space.

Issued

Jul 15, 2022

Abate by

May 28, 2024

Penalty

Initial $14,502 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(e)(1): Before entry is authorized, the employer shall document the completion of measures required by paragraph (d)(3) of this section by preparing an entry permit.  a) On or about February 25, 2022, the employer did not ensure that line operators prepared an entry permit prior to entering the Line 2 Nova Hopper, a permit-required confined space.

Issued

Jul 15, 2022

Abate by

May 28, 2024

Penalty

Initial $14,502 · Current $12,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(g)(1): The employer shall provide training so that all employees whose work is regulated by this section acquire the understanding, knowledge, and skills necessary for the safe performance of the duties assigned under this section.  a) On or about February 25, 2022, employees such as but not limited to the entry supervisor and authorized entrant had not been trained on their roles when a permit required entrance has been made.

Issued

Jul 15, 2022

Abate by

May 28, 2024

Penalty

Initial $14,502 · Current $12,500 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.  Note: Exception: The employer need not document the required procedure for a particular machine or equipment, when all of the following elements exist: (1) The machine or equipment has no potential for stored or residual energy or reaccumulation of stored energy after shut down which could endanger employees; (2) the machine or equipment has a single energy source which can be readily identified and isolated; (3) the isolation and locking out of that energy source will completely deenergize and deactivate the machine or equipment; (4) the machine or equipment is isolated from that energy source and locked out during servicing or maintenance; (5) a single lockout device will achieve a locker-out condition; (6) the lockout device is under the exclusive control of the authorized employee performing the servicing or maintenance; (7) the servicing or maintenance does not create hazards for other employees; and (8) the employer, in utilizing this exception, has had no accidents involving the unexpected activation or reenergization of the machine or equipment during servicing or maintenance.  a) On or about February 25, 2022, specific procedures were not utilized to lockout the conveyor, feeder, and chain drive on Line 2 Nova Hopper and the Infeed Conveyor when employees were cleaning the hopper. Employees were exposed to a moving conveyor when accessing the line and a running chain drive when in the hopper.

Issued

Jul 15, 2022

Abate by

May 28, 2024

Penalty

Initial $14,502 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(d): Application of control. The established procedures for the application of energy control (the lockout or tagout procedures) shall cover the following elements and actions and shall be done in the following sequence: (1) Preparation for shutdown. Before an authorized or affected employee turns off a machine or equipment, the authorized employee shall have knowledge of the type and magnitude of the energy, the hazards of the energy to be controlled, and the method or means to control the energy. (2) Machine or equipment shutdown. The machine or equipment shall be turned off or shut down using the procedures established for the machine or equipment. An orderly shutdown must be utilized to avoid any additional or increased hazard(s) to employees as a result of the equipment stoppage. (3) Machine or equipment isolation. All energy isolating devices that are needed to control the energy to the machine or equipment shall be physically located and operated in such a manner as to isolate the machine or equipment from the energy source(s). (4)(i) Lockout or tagout devices shall be affixed to each energy isolating device by authorized employees. (4)(ii) Lockout devices, where used, shall be affixed in a manner to that will hold the energy isolating devices in a "safe" or "off" position. (6) Verification of isolation. Prior to starting work on machines or equipment that have been locked out or tagged out, the authorized employee shall verify that isolation and deenergization of the machine or equipment have been accomplished.  a) On or about February 25, 2022, line operators were not locking out the conveyor, feeder, and hopper when cleaning the Line 2 Nova Hopper.

Issued

Jul 15, 2022

Abate by

May 28, 2024

Penalty

Initial $14,502 · Current $12,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(i): The employer shall provide training to ensure that the purpose and function of the energy control program are understood by employees and that the knowledge and skills required for the safe application, usage, and removal of the energy controls are acquired by employees. The training shall include the following: (A) Each authorized employee shall receive training in the recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and the methods and means necessary for energy isolation and control. (B) Each affected employee shall be instructed in the purpose and use of the energy control procedure.  a) On or about February 25, 2022, the line operators for the Line 2 Nova Hopper were not trained to lockout when performing cleaning of the hopper.

Issued

Jul 15, 2022

Abate by

May 28, 2024

Penalty

Initial $14,502 · Current $12,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.219(d)(1):Guarding. Pulleys, any parts of which are seven (7) feet or less from the floor or working platform, shall be guarded in accordance with the standards specified in paragraphs (m) and (o) of this section. Pulleys serving as balance wheels (e.g., punch presses) on which the point of contact between belt and pulley is more than six feet six inches (6 ft. 6 in.) from the floor or platform may be guarded with a disk covering the spokes.  a) On or about February 25, 2022, the wing pulley on the Line 2 Nova Hopper Conveyor was not guarded in that an employee was injured when their lower leg caught in the wing pulley and conveyor belt.

Issued

Jul 15, 2022

Abate by

May 28, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.219(e)(3)(i): Vertical and inclined belts shall be enclosed by a guard conforming to standards in paragraphs (m) and (o) of this section.   a) On or about February 25, 2022, the line 2 Nova Hopper inclined infeed conveyor belt was not guarded for the entire length.