OSHA Inspection: DYNOS GROUP GMBH

Issued

Nov 13, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $6,250 · Current $4,375 Reduced

General-duty citation text

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which was free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to struck-by hazards.   a) On or about August 25, 2023, the employer did not ensure that a safety latch on the hook of the XN half ton overhead underhung hoist was utilized. Employees were exposed to crush injuries in that the load and/or lifting devices could become removed from the hook as employees used the hoist with under-the-hook lifting devices to lift 500 pound steel rotary lids in the rag room.  In accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19(d), abatement certification is required for this violation (using the CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTIVE ACTION WORKSHEET), and in addition, documentation demonstrating that abatement is complete must be included with your certification. This documentation may include, but is not limited to, evidence of the purchase or repair of the equipment, photographic or video evidence, or written records.

Issued

Nov 13, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $9,376 · Current $6,095 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(a)(2): The floor of each workroom is maintained in a clean and, to the extent feasible, in a dry condition. When wet processes are used, drainage must be maintained and, to the extent feasible, dry standing places, such as false floors, platforms, and mats must be provided.  a) On or about August 9, 2023, in the Rotary and Elevator rooms, the employer did not maintain the flooring in a clean and dry condition. As a result, employees were exposed to corrosive hazards from sodium hydroxide that was on the floor.

Issued

Nov 13, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $10,938 · Current $7,656 Reduced

General-duty citation text

1910.28(b)(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 July 13, 2023, the elevator shaft in the Rag Room was not guarded. As a result, employees were exposed to a 12-foot fall to the lower level when working in the area nearby, bringing up cloth rag bales, and moving them off the elevator with an electric pallet jack.

Issued

Nov 13, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $10,938 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.29(e): Covers. The employer must ensure each cover for a hole in a walking-working surface: put in recommendation letter. (2) Is secured to prevent accidental displacement.  a) On or about August 25, 2023, in the Rag Room at rotary #1 and 2, the employer did not ensure that the plywood cover over the floor holes at the rotaries were secured to prevent accidental displacement as the employer was relying on carpeted edges to secure the plywood in place when the rotaries were cooking, emptying, or not in use.

Issued

Nov 13, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $10,938 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.30(a)(3): Fall hazards. The employer must train each employee in at least the following topics: (i) The nature of the fall hazards in the work area and how to recognize them; (ii) The procedures to be followed to minimize those hazards; (iii) The correct procedures for installing, inspecting, operating, maintaining, and disassembling the personal fall protection systems that the employee uses; and (iv) The correct use of personal fall protection systems and equipment specified in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, including, but not limited to, proper hook-up, anchoring, and tie-off techniques, and methods of equipment inspection and storage, as specified by the manufacturer.  a) On or about July 13, 2023 in the Rag Room, the employer had not trained Cotton Crew employees who were exposed to fall hazards of 12 to 15 feet on the nature of fall hazards in the work area, how to minimize fall hazards, procedures for installing, inspection, operate, maintaining, and use of fall protection systems at the Rotary floor openings.

Issued

Nov 13, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $10,938 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.140(c): General requirements. The employer must ensure that personal fall protection systems meet the following requirements.  (10) Snaphooks and carabiners must not be connected to any of the following unless they are designed for such connections: (i) Directly to webbing, rope, or wire rope.  a) On or about July 13, 2023, the employer did not ensure that carabiners were not connected directly to webbing used in fall protection systems in that at Rotary #1 and 4 carabiners were attached to retractable lifelines and soft eyed web slings being used as anchoring devices, exposing employees to falls of 12 to 15 feet.

Issued

Nov 13, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $10,938 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.261(j)(5)(i): All pulpers having the top or any other opening of a vessel less than 42 inches (107 cm) from the floor or work platform shall have such openings guarded by guardrail systems that meet the requirements in 29 CFR part 1910, subpart D, or other equivalent enclosures. For manual changing, openings shall be sufficient only to permit the entry of stock, and shall be provided with at least two permanently secured crossrails, or other fall protection systems that meet the requirements in 29 CFR part 1910, subpart D.  a) On or about July 12, 2023 in the Rag Room at Rotary #1, the employer did not provide guarding or provide adequate fall protection for employees exposed to fall hazards at the two floor openings above the rotary lids and the two lid openings into the rotary. Employees were exposed to fall hazards of 12 and 15 feet when making manual changes which include lids and the metal flow collars, when removing clogs, when cleaning around the filling rotary, and when near the rotary while it is filling with cuttings.   b) On or about July 12, 2023 in the Rag Room at Rotary #2, the employer did not provide guarding or provide adequate fall protection for employees exposed to fall hazards at the two floor openings above the rotary lids and the two lid openings into the rotary. Employees were exposed to fall hazards of 12 and 15 feet when making manual changes which include lids and the metal flow collars, when removing clogs, when cleaning around the filling rotary, and when near the rotary while it is filling with cuttings.   c) On or about July 12, 2023 in the Rag Room at Rotary #4, the employer did not provide guarding or provide adequate fall protection for employees exposed to fall hazards at the two floor openings above the rotary lids and the two lid openings into the rotary. Employees were exposed to fall hazards of 12 and 15 feet when making manual changes which include lids and the metal flow collars, when removing clogs, when cleaning around the filling rotary, and when near the rotary while it is filling with cuttings.

Issued

Nov 13, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $9,376 · Current $6,563 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). If such hazards are present, or likely to be present, the employer shall: (i) Select, and have each affected employee use, the types of PPE that will protect the affected employee from the hazards identified in the hazard assessment; (ii) Communicate selection decisions to each affected employee.  a) On or about August 9, 2023, the employer did not complete a workplace hazard assessment and follow the steps required in 1910.132(d)(1)(i) through 1910.132(d)(1)(ii) for employs working in the rotary, elevator and rag room and are exposed to hazards associated with sodium hydroxide.

Issued

Nov 13, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $4,687 · Current $3,280 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134 (c): Respirator Protection Program. This paragraph requires the employer to develop and implement a written respiratory protection program with required worksite-specific procedures and elements for required respirator use. The program must be administered by a suitably trained program administrator. In addition, certain program elements may be required for voluntary use to prevent potential hazards associated with the use of the respirator. The Small Entity Compliance Guide contains criteria for the selection of a program administrator and a sample program that meets the requirements of this paragraph. Copies of the Small Entity Compliance Guide will be available on or about April 8, 1998 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Office of Publications, Room N 3101, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20210 (202-219-4667). (2): Where respirator use is not required: (ii): In addition, the employer must establish and implement those elements of a written respiratory protection program necessary to ensure that any employee using a respirator voluntarily is medically able to use that respirator, and that the respirator is cleaned, stored, and maintained so that its use does not present a health hazard to the user. Exception: Employers are not required to include in a written respiratory protection program those employees whose only use of respirators involves the voluntary use of filtering facepieces (dust masks).  a) On or about July 13, 2023, the employer did not implement the elements of a respiratory protection program that are required for employees voluntarily using tight fitting respirators including but not limited to the 3M 6000 series full-face respirator.

Issued

Nov 13, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(6): The basic advisory information on respirators, as presented in Appendix D of this section, shall be provided by the employer in any written or oral format, to employees who wear respirators when such use is not required by this section or by the employer.  a) On or about July 13, 2023, the employer did not ensure that employees, working in the rag room, who were voluntarily 3M 6000 series full-face respirator were provided with the information contained in Appendix D of this standard.

Issued

Nov 13, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $10,938 · Current $7,656 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.261(h)(3) Bleaching. Liquid Chlorine.  (vi): All chlorine, caustic, and acid lines shall be marked for positive identification, in accordance with American National Standard A13.1 - 1967.  a) On or about August 9, 2023, in the elevator room and rotary room, the pipelines containing sodium hydroxide had not been marked in accordance with American National Standard A13.1 - 1967.

Issued

Nov 13, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(e)(1)(ii): The methods the employer will use to inform employees of the hazards of non-routine tasks (for example, the cleaning of reactor vessels), and the hazards associated with chemicals contained in unlabeled pipes in their work areas.  a) On or about August 9, 2023, in the elevator room and rotary room, the pipelines containing sodium hydroxide had not been labeled and employees were not informed of the hazards associated with the chemicals contained in the unlabeled pipes in their work area.

Issued

Nov 13, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(h)(1): 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 July 13, 2023, at the employee entry, elevator room, rotary room, and rag room, the employer did not provide effective information and training on hazardous chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and cotton dust for the cotton crew employees' at the time of their initial assignment.

Issued

Nov 13, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $6,250 · Current $4,375 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.303(b)(1): Examination. Electric equipment shall be free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees. Safety of equipment shall be determined using the following considerations: (i): Suitability for installation and use in conformity with the provisions of this subpart; Note to paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section: Suitability of equipment for an identified purpose may be evidenced by listing or labeling for that identified purpose.   a) On or about August 25, 2023, at Rotary #2 in the Rag Room, the switch to control the rotation of the Rotary and the switch to turn on/off the power to the Rotary were wired using a flexible cable.

Issued

Nov 13, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $6,250 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.305(g)(1)(iv) Unless specifically permitted otherwise in paragraph (g)(1)(ii) of this section, flexible cords and cables may not be used: (A): As a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure.  a) On or about July 13, 2023, at Rotary #1 and Rotary #2 in the Rag Room, the hoist that was used to remove lids was connected to an extension cord, which was then connected to the outlet.

Issued

Nov 13, 2023

Abate by

Jan 2, 2024

Penalty

Initial $7,813 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.305(g)(1)(iv) Unless specifically permitted otherwise in paragraph (g)(1)(ii) of this section, flexible cords and cables may not be used: (B): Where run through holes in walls, ceilings, or floors.  a) On or about July 13, 2023, in the Rag Room and the Cotton Crew Office, the employer was charging the pallet jacks using the Hobart Battery Mate, and the cords to power the batteries on the pallet jacks went through a hole in a brick wall.