OSHA Inspection: LACTALIS HERITAGE DAIRY, INC.

Issued

Aug 24, 2023

Abate by

Feb 18, 2025

Penalty

Initial $11,162 · Current $11,162

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(A):  Energy control procedures shall clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, and techniques to be utilized for the control of hazardous energy, and the means to enforce compliance including, but not limited to, a specific statement of the intended use of the procedure:   At a facility located at 1007 Townline Road in Wausau, WI; energy control procedures did not clearly and specifically contain a specific statement of the intended use of the procedures. Maintenance and sanitation employees utilized the energy control procedures for servicing and maintenance of cheese processing equipment in areas including but not limited to the Feta Area, Parm 600 Area, Parm Distribution Area, Parm Canning Area, and Spray Dry Area.

Issued

Aug 24, 2023

Abate by

Feb 18, 2025

Penalty

Initial $11,162 · Current $11,162

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(6)(ii):  The employer shall certify that the periodic inspections have been performed. The certification shall identify the machine or equipment on which the energy control procedure was being utilized, the date of the inspection, the employees included in the inspection, and the person performing the inspection:  At a facility located at located at 1007 Townline Road in Wausau, WI; the employer did not certify that periodic inspection had been performed for energy control procedures including, but not limited to Parm 600 System #3 Full Barrel Lift Conveyor (Index No. 7A), Parm 600 System #2 Cheese Shredder (Index No. 1A), Feta - Line 25 Ishida Scale (Ref# 319), and Feta - Line 26 Ishida Scale (Ref #628).

Issued

Aug 24, 2023

Abate by

Feb 18, 2025

Penalty

Initial $15,625 · Current $13,426 Reduced

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):  At a facility located at 1007 Townline Road in Wausau, WI;  a) On or about March 22, 2023, employees were exposed to machine hazards associated with ingoing nip point hazards when they engaged in sanitation activities on and around the running inclined conveyors of the Feta area. The employer did not ensure that employees implemented energy control application steps or equivalent protective measures prior to allowing them to clean and sanitize the conveyors and other areas around the conveyors which exposed employees to the energized conveyor's ingoing nip point. The machine was not deenergized prior to the employees engaging in the servicing/maintenance activity.  b) On or about July 16, 2023, employees were exposed to machine hazards associated with moving conveyors and caught-between hazards while unjamming barrels of cheese in the Parm 600 area. The employer did not ensure that employees implemented energy control application steps or equivalent protective measures prior to allowing them to step and walk on conveyors and approach the barrel dumper which exposed employees to the potentially energized conveyors and barrel dumper's caught-between hazards. The conveyors and barrel dumper were not deenergized prior to the employees engaging in the servicing/maintenance activity.  c) Employees were exposed to machine hazards associated with filling machines, weigh checkers, capper machines, and their associated conveyors when they engaged in sanitation activities of the Parmesan Canning lines. Only the filling machine was isolated from energy and locked out while the downstream canning equipment remained energized. The employer did not ensure that employees implemented energy control application steps or equivalent protective measures prior to allowing them to clean and sanitize the canning equipment which exposed employees to rotating equipment, caught-between hazards, ingoing nip points and struck-by hazards.  As a result, the remaining applicable energy control elements, involving machine isolation [1910.147(d)(3)], lockout/tagout device application [1910.147(d)(4)], dissipation of residual energy [1910(d)(5)(i)], and verification of isolation [1910.147(d)(6)] were not implemented to protect employees from machine hazards.

Issued

Aug 24, 2023

Abate by

Feb 18, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $15,625

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(f)(3)(i): When servicing and/or maintenance is performed by a crew, craft, department or other group, they shall utilize a procedure which affords the employees a level of protection equivalent to that provided by the implementation of a personal lockout or tagout device.   Employees were exposed to machine hazards associated with filling machines, weigh checkers, capper machines, and their associated conveyors when they engaged in sanitation activities of the Parmesan Canning lines. Only the filling machine was isolated from energy and locked out while the downstream canning equipment remained energized. The employer did not ensure that employees implemented energy control application steps or equivalent protective measures prior to allowing them to clean and sanitize the canning equipment which exposed employees to rotating equipment, caught-between hazards, ingoing nip points and struck-by hazards.

Issued

Aug 24, 2023

Abate by

Feb 18, 2025

Penalty

Initial $15,625 · Current $15,625

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.212(a)(1):  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.:  At a facility located at 1007 Townline Road in Wausau, WI; machine guarding was not provided to protect operators and employees from hazards such as, but not limited to:  a) Caught-between hazards and struck-by hazards posed by the barrel dumper mechanism in the Parmesan (Parm) 600 area. Employees walking past the barrel dumper were not protected from caught-between hazards or struck-by hazards presented by the lifting and lowering of the barrel dumper mechanism. Employees were not prevented by guarding from reaching arms or legs into the barrel dumper mechanism which could expose them to being caught-between the barrel/dumper frame and the tubular rails or the roller conveyor.  b) Ingoing nip points posed by the cheese rotator in the Parm 600 area.  Employees inspecting and scraping mold from parmesan round were not protected from the ingoing nip point presented by the parmesan round and the powered rollers of the rotating equipment.  c) Conveyors in the Parmesan Distribution area (3rd floor). Employees walking to work areas, sweeping and working adjacent to conveyors were not protected from ingoing nip points presented by rubber conveyors running over pullies at several locations including, but not limited to: at the outfeed of the fluidized bed, immediately adjacent to the doorway by the fluidized bed, and immediately adjacent to boxes of staged product.  d) Rotating parts and ingoing nip points posed by the corkscrew conveyor at the Weigh Checker machine on Line 1 in the Parmesan Canning area. Employees were not protected from accessing and being pulled into the rotating hazards of corkscrew conveyor nor were they protected from the ingoing nip points presented by the corkscrew where it contacted the cans of product.  e) Ingoing nip points posed by the material collection conveyor below the reject equipment on Line 1 in the Parmesan Canning area. Employees walking in passageway behind Line 1 were not protected from accessing the ingoing nip point presented by the rubber conveyor running over a pulley below the rejects equipment.  f) Caught-between hazards and rotating parts posed by the rotating arms on each of the six sets of flapper valves on the 3rd floor of the Spray Dryer room. Employees working on the 3rd floor of the Spray Dryer room were not protected from accessing the caught-between hazards present between the rotating arm and either the flapper valves' lever or the guard around the rotating arm. Nor were employees protected from being pulled into the rotating hazards of the rotating arm.

Issued

Aug 24, 2023

Abate by

Feb 18, 2025

Penalty

Initial $11,162 · Current $5,000 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:  At a facility located at 1007 Townline Road in Wausau, WI; the horizontal shaft for the rotary valve located below the filter media dust collector on the fourth (4th) floor of the Spray Dry area was less than seven feet from the floor and was not enclosed by stationary casing, trough, or other types of guarding exposing employees to entanglement hazards.