OSHA Inspection: DOWN-LITE INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Issued

May 22, 2023

Abate by

Jun 16, 2023

Penalty

Initial $15,625 · Current $0 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 April 24, 2023, the employer did not develop, document, and utilize machine-specific procedures for equipment such as the Brighi opener motors for employees to utilize when performing servicing and maintenance, such as removing clogged polyester from the motors, as a result employees are exposed to caught in hazards associated with stored energy and unexpected machine start up.

Issued

May 22, 2023

Penalty

Initial $15,625 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(7)(iii)(A): Retraining shall be provided for all authorized and affected employees whenever there is a change in their job assignments, a change in machines, equipment, or processes that present a new hazard, or when there is a change in the energy control procedures.   a) On or about April 24,  2023, the employer did not retrain Brighi machine operators when they were assigned authorized employee tasks, such as the responsibility for cleaning polyester fiber clogs out of the blower opener motors of the machine.  Machine operators, who were trained as affected employees needed retraining as authorized employees.

Issued

May 22, 2023

Abate by

Jun 16, 2023

Penalty

Initial $15,625 · Current $7,000 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)	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) Lockout or tagout device application. (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 that will hold the energy-isolating devices in a "safe" or "off" position. (5) Stored energy. (5)(i) Following the application of lockout or tagout devices to energy isolating devices, all potentially hazardous stored or residual energy shall be relieved, disconnected, restrained, and otherwise rendered safe. (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 de-energization of the machine or equipment have been accomplished    a) On or about April 24, 2023, the Brighi machine operator was performing servicing operations such as cleaning a polyester fill clog out of a blower opener motor, without following the sequence of d(1) through d(6), which resulted in exposure to the stored energy and unexpected start up of the blower motor.