OSHA Inspection: UGN, INC.

Issued

Jan 12, 2024

Abate by

Feb 15, 2024

Penalty

Initial $15,625 · Current $15,625

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.132(a):Application. Protective equipment, including personal protective equipment for eyes, face, head, and extremities, protective clothing, respiratory devices, and protective shields and barriers, shall be provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition wherever it is necessary by reason of hazards of processes or environment, chemical hazards, radiological hazards, or mechanical irritants encountered in a manner capable of causing injury or impairment in the function of any part of the body through absorption, inhalation or physical contact.  a) On or before 9/1/2023 the employer did not ensure that employees were utilizing protective equipment such as sleeves for the arms and/or barriers around the drums and heated boxes to protect employees from burn hazards created by high temperature equipment such as the Margasa Fiber Injection Line (model #IFPR-3/2100) IFP drums (183-195 F), Hot Air Injection boxes (190-191 F) and burner boxes (84.5-93.3 F), located inside of the IFP cells #5, #6, # 30, #31, #32, #33 and #34, when the Team Leaders enter the cells every two hours to inspect the conditions of the equipment inside of the cells.

Issued

Jan 12, 2024

Abate by

Feb 15, 2024

Penalty

Initial $15,625 · Current $15,625

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(6)(i):The employer shall conduct a periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually to ensure that the procedure and the requirements of this standard are being followed.  (B) The periodic inspection shall be conducted to correct any deviations or inadequacies identified. (C) Where lockout is used for energy control, the periodic inspection shall include a review, between the inspector and each authorized employee, of that employee's responsibilities under the energy control procedure being inspected.  a) On or before 9/1/2023 the employer did not conduct an adequate periodic inspection of each energy control procedures annually, for equipment such as but not limited to; the procedures for the Margasa Fiber Injection Line (model #IFPR-3/2100) cells #5, #6, #30, #31. #32, #33, and #34 to ensure that the machine specific procedure was adequate to prevent exposure to movement and heat from machinery within the cells.  Nor did the periodic inspections included each authorized employee of that employee's responsibilities to lockout the energy sources such as the electrical disconnect  to prevent rotating of the drums and the natural gas for the drums and burner heaters for each cell when performing  inspections and cleaning of equipment every two hours.

Issued

Jan 12, 2024

Abate by

Feb 15, 2024

Penalty

Initial $15,625 · Current $15,625

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 and before  9/1/2023 the employer did not ensure that the Margasa Fiber Injection Line (model #IFPR-3/2100) cell #6, where employees were working, was adequately guarded in that there was an opening on the right side of the cell approximately  36"  gap opening in the guarding that created a caught in hazard around cell #6 that allowed employees to enter the cell next to the rotating IFP drum.  Employees would enter cell #6 on the right side every two hours to inspect and clean equipment within cell #6.  b) On and before  9/1/2023 the employer did not ensure that the Margasa Fiber Injection Line (model #IFPR-3/2100) cell #5, where employees were working, was adequately guarded in that there was an opening on the right side of the cell approximately  28"  gap opening in the guarding that created a caught in hazard around cell #6 that allowed employees to enter the cell next to the rotating IFP drum.  Employees would enter cell #6 on the right side every two hours to inspect and clean equipment within cell #5.  c) On and before  9/1/2023 the employer did not ensure that the Margasa Fiber Injection Line (model #IFPR-3/2100) cell #30, where employees were working, was adequately guarded in that there was an opening on the right side of the cell approximately  28"  gap opening in the guarding that created a caught in hazard around cell #6 that allowed employees to enter the cell next to the rotating IFP drum.  Employees would enter cell #6 on the right side every two hours to inspect and clean equipment within cell #30.  d) On and before  9/1/2023 the employer did not ensure that the Margasa Fiber Injection Line (model #IFPR-3/2100) cell #31, where employees were working, was adequately guarded in that there was an opening on the right side of the cell approximately  28"  gap opening in the guarding that created a caught in hazard around cell #6 that allowed employees to enter the cell next to the rotating IFP drum.  Employees would enter cell #6 on the right side every two hours to inspect and clean equipment within cell #31.  e) On and before  9/1/2023 the employer did not ensure that the Margasa Fiber Injection Line (model #IFPR-3/2100) cell #32, where employees were working, was adequately guarded in that there was an opening on the right side of the cell approximately  28"  gap opening in the guarding that created a caught in hazard around cell #6 that allowed employees to enter the cell next to the rotating IFP drum.  Employees would enter cell #6 on the right side every two hours to inspect and clean equipment within cell #32.  f) On and before  9/1/2023 the employer did not ensure that the Margasa Fiber Injection Line (model #IFPR-3/2100) cell #33, where employees were working, was adequately guarded in that there was an opening on the right side of the cell approximately  28"  gap opening in the guarding that created a caught in hazard around cell #6 that allowed employees to enter the cell next to the rotating IFP drum.  Employees would enter cell #6 on the right side every two hours to inspect and clean equipment within cell #33.  g) On and before  9/1/2023 the employer did not ensure that the Margasa Fiber Injection Line (model #IFPR-3/2100) cell #34, where employees were working, was adequately guarded in that there was an opening on the right side of the cell approximately 28"  gap opening in the guarding that created a caught in hazard around cell #6 that allowed employees to enter the cell next to the rotating IFP drum.  Employees would enter cell #6 on the right side every two hours to inspect and clean equipment within cell #34.  h) On or before 9/12/2023 the employer placed a partial fencing on the right side of the conveyor system to try to prevent employees access the drum, the employer did not guard the opposite side of the conveyor system, this continued exposure to the rotating drum therefore employees where continually exposed to an ingoing nip point created by the rotating IFP drum during cleaning utilizing  compressed air supplied by a reeled air line.    The  UGN Inc. was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1639749, citation number 1, item number 3b and was affirmed as a final order on 08-14-2023, with respect to a workplace located at 201 Exploration Dr. Monroe, OH. 45050.

Issued

Jan 12, 2024

Penalty

Initial $15,625 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.219(f)(3):Sprockets and chains. All sprocket wheels and chains shall be enclosed unless they are more than seven (7) feet above the floor or platform. Where the drive extends over other machine or working areas, protection against falling shall be provided. This subparagraph does not apply to manually operated sprockets.  a) On or before 9/1/2023 the employer did not ensure that a powered chain and sprocket, located inside of the Margasa Fiber Injection Line (model #IFPR-3/2100) cell #6, where employees  enter to perform task including inspecting the fan screen and the chain and sprocket for the IFP drum  was adequately guarded in that employees were exposed to the a rotating chain and sprocket located less than 7 ft.from ground,  while inside of cell #6 performing cleaning operations on Fiber injection machines.

Issued

Jan 12, 2024

Abate by

Feb 15, 2024

Penalty

Initial $85,938 · Current $85,938

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.   B)  Specific procedural steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy;  (C) Specific procedural steps for the placement, removal and transfer of lockout devices or tagout devices and the responsibility for them; and  (D) Specific requirements for testing a machine or equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of lockout devices, tagout devices, and other energy control measures.  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 9/1/23, the employer did not ensure that the machine specific energy control procedure for equipment including the Margasa Fiber Injection Line (model #IFPR-3/2100) cell #5, cell #6, cell #30, cell #31, cell #32, cell #33, cell #34  were written and utilized to included specific procedures for how long to wait for the thermal heat to dissipate, for the removal of the lockout devices and for testing the equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of lockout devices  for the electrical disconnect,  the natural gases, and thermal heat to ensure that employees were not exposed to caught in and burn hazards prior to inspections, and cleaning inside of the cells. This was most recently observed on or about 12/13/2023.  The UGN Automotive Inc.  DBA UGN Inc. was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(i), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1437513, citation number 1, item number 1a and was affirmed as a final order on 2/5/2020, with respect to a workplace located at 201 Exploration Dr. Monroe, OH. 45050

Issued

Jan 12, 2024

Abate by

Feb 15, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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)Lockout or tagout device application. (i)Lockout or tagout devices shall be affixed to each energy isolating device by authorized employees. (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. (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. (ii) If there is a possibility of reaccumulation of stored energy to a hazardous level, verification of isolation shall be continued until the servicing or maintenance is completed, or until the possibility of such accumulation no longer exists. (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 before 9/1/2023 the employer did not ensure that (d)(1) through (d)(6) were followed by an authorized employee performing cleaning operations on equipment such as but not limited to; Margasa Fiber Injection Line (model #IFPR-3/2100) cells #5, #6, #30, #31. #32, #33, and #34.  Employees were exposed to injuries when  conducting inspections and cleaning operations inside of each cell.  The UGN Automotive Inc.  DBA UGN Inc. was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 1910.147(d), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1437513, citation number 1, item number 1c and was affirmed as a final order on 2/5/2020, with respect to a workplace located at 201 Exploration Dr. Monroe, OH. 45050

Issued

Jan 12, 2024

Abate by

Feb 15, 2024

Penalty

Initial $85,938 · Current $0 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.  a) On or before 9/1/2023, the employer did not provide each Team Leaders of the Fabric Injection lines with adequate authorized employee training, in that employees were not trained to understand how to control energy sources prior to the start of cleaning operations. Employees did not receive the training necessary to recognize each hazardous energy source including natural gas, and electric, and how and when to secure each energy source for machinery such as but not limited to the Margasa Fiber Injection Line (model #IFPR-3/2100) cells #5, #6, #30, #31. #32, #33, and #34.  The UGN Automotive Inc.  DBA UGN Inc. was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(i)(A), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1437513, citation number 1, item number 1b and was affirmed as a final order on 2/5/2020, with respect to a workplace located at 201 Exploration Dr. Monroe, OH. 45050