OSHA Inspection: RIO GRANDE EXCELSIOR, LLC

Issued

May 31, 2024

Abate by

Oct 1, 2024

Penalty

Initial $6,452 · Current $3,871 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(1): The employer did not establish a program consisting of an energy control procedure, employee training and periodic inspections to ensure that before any employee performed any servicing or maintenance on a machine or equipment where the unexpected energizing, startup or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, the machine or equipment shall be isolated from the energy source and rendered inoperative:  (a)On or before January 12, 2024, and at times prior, the employer did not establish a program consisting of energy control procedures, periodic inspections, and employee training to ensure that before any employee performed any servicing or maintenance on a machine or equipment where the unexpected energization, start up or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, the machine or equipment would be isolated, and rendered inoperative, including but not limited to the following:   (1)Log Excelsior machine (WILMA)  (2)Excelsior material "Netting" and "Rolling" machine.

Issued

May 31, 2024

Abate by

Jul 1, 2024

Penalty

Initial $3,687 · Current $2,212 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(1)(i): The employer did not ensure that each powered industrial truck operator was competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely, as demonstrated by the successful completion of the training and evaluation specified in this paragraph (l):   (a)On or about January 12, 2024, and at times prior, the employer did not ensure that each operator had been trained and evaluated as required by paragraph (l) through certification of the completion of forklift training prior to operating the Caterpillar and Hyster forklifts. This condition exposed employees to the hazard of unsafe forklift operation.

Issued

May 31, 2024

Abate by

Jul 1, 2024

Penalty

Initial $6,452 · Current $3,871 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1): One or more methods of machine guarding was not 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:  (a)On or before January 12, 2024, and at times prior, the employer did not ensure employees were protected from the moving blades of the WILMA while walking on the platform between two sections of the machine that had reciprocating blades used to process logs into excelsior (wood wool). Employees were exposed to the danger zone while walking back and forth on the platform loading logs. This condition exposed employees to struck-by, caught-in, and amputation hazards.

Issued

May 31, 2024

Abate by

Jul 1, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(3)(iii): Special hand tools for placing and removing material(s) were not provided to permit easy handling of material without the operator placing a hand in the danger zone:  (a)On or before January 12, 2024, and at times prior, the employer did not ensure employees operating the machine known as WILMA were protected from the moving blades while loading and unloading logs to be processed into excelsior (wood wool). Employees manually placed wood logs on moving blades that shaved the wood creating wood wool and would physically unseat the leftover debris with their hands in preparation for a new log to be processed. The employer did not provide hand tools to prevent employees placing their hands in the danger zone. This condition exposed employees to struck-by, caught-in, and amputation hazards.

Issued

May 31, 2024

Abate by

Jul 1, 2024

Penalty

Initial $4,610 · Current $2,766 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(c)(2)(i): All exposed part(s) of horizontal shafting seven (7) feet or less from floor or working platform were not protected by stationary casing(s) enclosing shafting completely or by trough(s) enclosing sides and top or sides and bottom of shafting:  (a) On or before January 12, 2024, and at times prior, the employer did not ensure exposed parts of horizontal shafting were protected by stationary casings enclosing shafting completely or by troughs enclosing sides and top or sides and bottom of shafting in that, the rotating drive shaft located behind the cutting blades of the WILMA machine was unguarded. This condition exposed employees to a caught-in hazard.

Issued

May 31, 2024

Abate by

Jul 1, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(c)(2)(ii):  Where respirator use was not required, and where the employer determined that voluntary respirator use was permissible, the employer did not ensure employees voluntarily using respirators were medically able to use that respirator:  (a)On or before January 12, 2024, and at times prior, the employer did not establish and implement those elements of a written respirator program required where the employer permitted voluntary use of half-face negative pressure respirators with P100 particulate filters, the employer did not provide the respirator users a medical evaluation prior to the use of the respirator. This condition exposed employees to health hazards associated with wearing a negative pressure tight-fitting respirator.

Issued

May 31, 2024

Abate by

Jul 1, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.157(e)(5): Alternate equivalent fire protection was not provided when portable fire extinguishers were removed from service for maintenance and recharging:  (a)On or before January 12, 2024, and at times prior, the employer did not ensure employees were protected from fire hazards. Fire extinguishers were taken out of service for maintenance without replacements being available. This condition exposed employees to fire hazards.