OSHA Inspection: KALMBACH FEEDS, INC.

Issued

Feb 22, 2024

Abate by

Mar 19, 2024

Penalty

Initial $14,518 · Current $8,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees from hazards of being struck by falling steel storage racks and/or components of the steel storage racks, including any materials stored on the racks:   a) Feed Plant Warehouse, Rack System - Steel storage racks located throughout the warehouse were not evaluated and placarded with the maximum permissible load exposing employees to struck by hazards, on or about October 11, 2023.   b) Feed Plant Warehouse, Rack 36 - Rack columns were not anchored to the floor with anchor bolts exposing employees to struck by hazards while loading and unloading material from the storage rack, on or about October 11, 2023.   c) Feed Plant Warehouse, Rack 63 - Rack columns were not anchored to the floor with anchor bolts exposing employees to struck by hazards while loading and unloading material from the storage rack, on or about October 11, 2023.   d) Feed Plant Warehouse, Rack 63 - Two of the four upright posts were visibly damaged and bent and the racks strength and stability were not reevaluated, exposing employees struck by hazards, on or about October 11, 2023.   e) Feed Plant Warehouse, Unlabeled Rack in Aisle 1 (South end) - One of the upright posts was visibly damaged and bent and the racks strength and stability were not reevaluated, exposing employees to a struck by hazards, on or about October 11, 2023.   f) Feed Plant Warehouse, Rack 19 - One of the upright posts was visibly damaged and bent and the racks strength and stability were not reevaluated, exposing employees to struck by hazards, on or about October 11, 2023.   g) Feed Plant Warehouse, Rack 36 - One of the upright posts was visibly damaged and bent and the racks strength and stability were not reevaluated, exposing employees to struck by hazards, on or about October 11, 2023.   h) Feed Plant Warehouse, Rack System - The employer failed to regularly inspect steel storage racks for damage, exposing employees to struck by hazards, on or about October 11, 2023.   i) Feed Plant Warehouse, Pallets - The employer failed to ensure that all pallets were maintained in a good, safe, operating condition, and properly placed onto pallet load support members. Several pallets were damaged, overhung the horizontal rack beams, and were double stacked, exposing employees to struck by hazards, on or about October 11, 2023.   Abatement certification and documentation required within 10 days after abatement date.  The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, the date and method of abatement, and state that employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.  Abatement documentation shall include documents demonstrating that abatement is complete, such as evidence of the purchase or repair of equipment, photographic or video evidence of abatement or other written records.

Issued

Feb 22, 2024

Abate by

Mar 19, 2024

Penalty

Initial $10,372 · Current $6,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.28(b)(1)(i): The employer did not ensure that each employee on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge that was 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level was protected from falling by one or more of the following:  Guardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems:  a) Soybean Plant - The mezzanine was not equipped with a standard guardrail system or equivalent on one side of the platform, exposing employees to a fall hazard into soybean storage piles, on or about October 17, 2023.  b) Soybean Plant - The mezzanine was not equipped with a standard guardrail system or equivalent on one side of the platform, exposing employees to an approximate 18-foot fall into empty soybean storage bins, on or about October 17, 2023.  Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Feb 22, 2024

Abate by

Mar 19, 2024

Penalty

Initial $10,372 · Current $6,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.28(b)(3)(iv): Each employee was not protected from falling into the ladderway platform hole at the entrance to the hole by a self-closing gate or offset.   a) Soybean Plant - A fixed ladder used to access the mezzanine was not guarded at the ladder opening with a self-closing gate or offset, exposing employees to an approximate 11-foot fall hazard to the concrete floor, on or about October 17, 2023.  Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Feb 22, 2024

Abate by

Jun 3, 2024

Penalty

Initial $10,372 · Current $6,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(2)(ii): The employer did not ensure that each operator had successfully completed the training consisting of a combination of formal instruction (e.g., lecture, discussion, interactive computer learning, video tape, written material), practical training (demonstrations performed by the trainer and practical exercises performed by the trainee), and evaluation of the operator's performance in the workplace:  a) Facility-Wide - All employees who operated forklifts had not been trained and evaluated by the employer, exposing employees to potential struck-by and crushed-by hazards, on or about October 11, 2023.   Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Feb 22, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.178(p)(1): Powered industrial truck(s) found to be in need of repair, defective, or in any way unsafe had not been taken out of service until restored to safe operating condition(s):   a) Yard - Employees used a sit-down forklift which was found to be in need of repair but was not taken out of service. The Toyota LPG forklift (Model# illegible, last identifiers are GU25 / Serial #90405) used outside in the yard had a defective emergency brake, on or about October 10, 2023.   No abatement�certification or�documentation required.

Issued

Feb 22, 2024

Abate by

Mar 19, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.178(q)(7):  Where industrial trucks were used around-the-clock, they were not examined after each shift.    a) Facility-Wide - The employer did not perform a daily examination of power industrial trucks to check for defects prior to operation, exposing employees to potential struck-by and crushed-by hazards, on or about October 11, 2023.   Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Feb 22, 2024

Abate by

Jun 3, 2024

Penalty

Initial $14,518 · Current $8,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances E200M102

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.272(d): The employer did not develop and implement an emergency action plan meeting the requirements contained in 1910.38(a):   a) Facility-Wide - Employees were exposed to possible explosive and burn hazards caused by the employer not developing or implementing a written Emergency Action Plan, on or about October 11, 2023.  Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Feb 22, 2024

Abate by

Jun 3, 2024

Penalty

Initial $14,518 · Current $8,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances E200M102

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.272(j)(1): The employer did not develop and implement a written housekeeping program that established the frequency and the method(s) determined best to reduce accumulations of fugitive grain dust on ledges, floors, equipment, and other exposed surfaces:   a) Feed Plant - The employer failed to protect employees from fire and explosion hazards associated with grain dust accumulations greater than 1/8th of an inch thick. The employer did not develop and implement a housekeeping program that established the frequency and method(s) to reduce accumulations of fugitive grain dust on surfaces, such as but not limited to, ledges, the floor around the baghouse dust collector, walls, overhead beams, and electrical equipment, on or about October 11, 2023.   b) Soybean Plant - The employer failed to protect employees from fire and explosion hazards associated with soybean dust accumulations greater than 1/8th of an inch thick. The employer did not develop and implement a housekeeping program that established the frequency and method(s) to reduce accumulations of fugitive grain dust on surfaces, such as but not limited to, ledges, walls, the floor and guardrails of an elevated platform, and overhead pipes, on or about October 11, 2023.  Abatement certification and documentation required within 10 days after abatement date.  The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, the date and method of abatement, and state that employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.  Abatement documentation shall include documents demonstrating that abatement is complete, such as evidence of the purchase or repair of equipment, photographic or video evidence of abatement or other written records.

Issued

Feb 22, 2024

Abate by

Apr 9, 2024

Penalty

Initial $14,518 · Current $8,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances E200M102

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.272(m)(1)(i): Preventive maintenance procedures in the grain handling facility were not implemented to provide regularly scheduled inspections of the mechanical and safety control equipment associated with dryers, grain stream processing equipment:   a) Feed Plant - The employer failed to protect employees from fire and explosion hazards combustible grain dust in that there is no preventive maintenance program to address steps for inspecting the Alanco Environmental baghouse dust collector, on or about October 11, 2023.   Abatement certification and documentation required within 10 days after abatement date.  The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, the date and method of abatement, and state that employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.  Abatement documentation shall include documents demonstrating that abatement is complete, such as evidence of the purchase or repair of equipment, photographic or video evidence of abatement or other written records.

Issued

Feb 22, 2024

Abate by

Mar 19, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances E200M102

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.145(c)(3): Safety instruction sign(s) were not used where there was a need for general instructions and suggestions relative to safety measure(s):   a) Feed Plant - The employer did not have a combustible dust hazard sign to warn against potential deflagration and explosion hazards from combustible dust atmospheres that may occur during the handling and bagging of dried ingredients, on or about October 11, 2023.   b) Soybean Plant - The employer did not have a combustible dust hazard sign to warn against potential deflagration and explosion hazards from combustible dust atmospheres that may occur during the handling and bagging of dried ingredients, on or about October 11, 2023.   Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.