OSHA Inspection: OCTAL EXTRUSIONS CORP.

Issued

2023-01-17 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-02-28 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $10938.00 · Current $2000.00 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 September 27, 2022, the employer did not develop, document, and utilize machine specific procedures for equipment such as, extruders 1, 2, and 3 for employees to utilize when performing servicing and maintenance, such as setups and cleaning.

Issued

2023-01-17 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-02-28 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $10938.00 · Current $0.00 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. (C) All other employees whose work operations are or may be in an area where energy control procedures may be utilized, shall be instructed about the procedure, and about the prohibition relating to attempts to restart or reenergize machines or equipment which are locked out or tagged out.   a)  On or about September 27, 2022, employees performing servicing such as setups and cleaning off the rolls were not trained as authorized, affected, or other on the energy control program and procedures.

Issued

2023-01-17 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-02-28 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $10938.00 · Current $0.00 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:  Each employee was not required to: (1) prepare for shutdown, (2) turn off and shut down the machines, (3) physically locate and operate energy isolating devices in such a manner as to isolate the machine or equipment from the electric and pneumatic energy sources, (4) affix lockout or tagout devices to each energy-isolating device, (6) verify the effectiveness of energy isolation.   a) On or about September 27, 2022, a machine operator in training was performing servicing operations such as cleaning the middle roller on extruder line 2, without following the sequence of d(1) through d(4) and d(6).   b) On or about October 3, 2022, the machine operators performing servicing operations such as wiping the extruder lead rolls off by hand with a rag on extruder lines 1, 2, and 3, did not follow the sequence of d(1) through d(4) and d(6).   c) On or about October 12, 2022, production employees, performing set-up operations,  such as feeding the plastic sheets through the nip roll winder at the end of the lines, did not follow the sequence of d(1) through d(4) and d(6).

Issued

2023-01-17 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-02-28 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $10938.00 · Current $2000.00 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 September 27, 2022, the lead and middle roller of extruders #1, 2, and 3 were not adequately guarded to prevent employees from getting over, under, around, or through to the ingoing nip points of the rollers.  b) On or about October 2, 2022, during production the point of operation where the plastic is extruded from the dies was not adequately guarded on extruders 1, 2, and 3 to prevent employees from reaching over the barrier into the nip point.

Issued

2023-01-17 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-02-28 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4687.00 · Current $2000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(f)(6)(ii): Labels and other forms of warning - Workplace labeling. Except as provided in paragraphs (f)(7) and (f)(8) of this section, the employer shall ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace is labeled, tagged or marked with either: Product identifier and words, pictures, symbols, or combination thereof, which provide at least general information regarding the hazards of the chemicals, and which, in conjunction with the other information immediately available to employees under the hazard communication program, will provide employees with the specific information regarding the physical and health hazards of the hazardous chemical.  a) On or about October 3, 2022, the employer did not ensure that all the bottles and containers (at least one small squirt bottle and one square container) located on the flammable liquid cabinet near extruder 2, that contained chemicals such as Windex and the Mothers California Gold Chrome Polish (both eye and skin irritant) were labeled with a product identifier and words, pictures, and or symbols of the hazards of the chemicals contained therein.

Issued

2023-01-17 00:00:00

Abate by

2023-02-28 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4687.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(h)(1): Employee information and training. Employers shall provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment, and whenever a new chemical hazard the employees have not previously been trained about is introduced into their work area. Information and training may be designed to cover categories of hazards (e.g., flammability, carcinogenicity) or specific chemicals. Chemical-specific information must always be available through labels and safety data sheets.  a)  On or about October 3, 2022, the employer had not provided employees with effective information and training on the hazardous chemicals in their work area such as but not limited to,  Windex glass cleaner and Mothers California Gold chrome polish (irritants).