OSHA Inspection: PLASTIC MOLDING TECHNOLOGY

Issued

Jul 18, 2024

Abate by

Sep 6, 2024

Penalty

Initial $8,296 · Current $5,000 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 who were exposed to struck-by or crush hazards:  a) On or about January 22, 2024, and at times prior, employees were exposed to struck by and crushing hazards while operating powered industrial trucks and walking in front of material storage racks located on the shop floor in front of the vacuum form area and the extrusion area that were not anchored to the ground and not fastened with anchor bolts .  Abatement Note: Among other methods, one feasible means of abatement for this hazard is to ensure that the steel storage racks comply with the guidelines established in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) MH 16.1-2012 and MH 16.2-1984 and adhere to the requirements not limited to the following: Column Base Plates and Anchors: The bottom of all columns shall be furnished with column base plates, as specified in ANSI MH 16.1 section 7.1. All rack columns shall be anchored to the floor with anchor bolts capable of resisting the forces caused by the horizontal and vertical loads on the rack (ANSI MH 16.1-2012, 1.4.7).

Issued

Jul 18, 2024

Abate by

Aug 15, 2024

Penalty

Initial $8,296 · Current $5,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(c)(1): A written respiratory protection program that included the provisions in 29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1)(i) - (ix) with worksite specific procedures was not established and implemented for required respirator use:  a) On or about February 1, 2024, and at times prior, the employer did not establish and implement a written respiratory protection program that included the provisions in 29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1)(i)-(ix) when employees working in the paint booth were required to wear half-mask tight-fitting respirators.  This  exposed employees to physiological burden of the respirator and the chemical  hazards of spraying Polane T paint.

Issued

Jul 18, 2024

Abate by

Aug 15, 2024

Penalty

Initial $10,372 · Current $6,000 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 about February 1, 2024, and at times prior, the employer did not establish an energy control program consisting of an energy control procedure, employee training and periodic inspections before any employee performed servicing or maintenance on a machine or equipment in that employees were exposed to amputation and crush hazards while performing servicing and maintenance on injection molding machines, vacuum form machines, CNC and rotary machine.

Issued

Jul 18, 2024

Abate by

Aug 15, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(d)(3): All energy isolating devices that were needed to control the energy to the machine or equipment were not physically located and operated in such a manner as to isolate the machine or equipment from the energy source(s):  a) On or about February 1, 2024, and at times prior,  employees were exposed to amputation and crushing injuries while adjusting rails on the rotary machine with the power on to the machine.  The individual machine's power sources could not be isolated separate from other machines in the same area.

Issued

Jul 18, 2024

Abate by

Mar 31, 2025

Penalty

Initial $10,372 · Current $6,000 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 about January 22, 2024, and at times prior, employees operating the #3 Delta 32" radial drill press were not provided protection from hazards created by point of operation and flying chips exposing employees to struck by and caught in hazards.  b) On or about January 22, 2024, and at times prior, employees operating the Vacuum Form #1 Gulden Plastic Machine Serial No 8505 model 222PV were not protected from amputation and crushing hazards by one or methods of guarding to protect the operator from pinch point hazards.  c) On or about February 1, 2024, and at times prior, employees operating the Vacuum Form Gulden Plastic Machine Model 222PV, located on the side closest to the extrusion area, were not protected from amputation and crushing hazards by one or methods of guarding to protect the operator from pinch point hazards.  d) On or about February 1, 2024, and at times prior, employees operating the rotary thermal machine were not protected from amputation and crushing hazards while placing and removing parts by one or methods of guarding to protect the operator from pinch point hazards.

Issued

Jul 18, 2024

Abate by

Aug 15, 2024

Penalty

Initial $6,222 · Current $3,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1):  The employer had not developed or implemented a written hazard communication program that included the requirements outlined in 29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1)(i) and (e)(1)(ii):  a) On or about January 22, 2024, and at times prior, the employer did not implement a written hazard communication program when employees were exposed to hazardous chemicals including, but not limited to, Bayblend thermoplastic polymer, polyvinyl chloride, primex plastics, Polane T polyurethane enamel PMS Cool Gray 10U, and 9631 retarder.  This exposed employees to hazards including, but not limited to, flammable liquids, skin corrosion and irritation, serious eye damage, carcinogenicity, toxicity to reproduction, specific target organ toxicity, and acute toxicity (oral).

Issued

Jul 18, 2024

Abate by

Aug 15, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.157(e)(3): Portable fire extinguishers were not subjected to an annual maintenance check:   a) On or about January 22, 2024, and at times prior, no maintenance check had been performed on the portable fire extinguishers mounted in the facility, exposing employees to potential fire hazards.  The tags on the extinguishers were dated 2022 for their last annual maintenance check.

Issued

Jul 18, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.242(b): Compressed air used for cleaning purposes was not reduced to less than 30 p.s.i:  a) On or about January 22, 2024, and at times prior, employees were exposed to  embolism and eye hazards from using compressed air higher than 80 p.s.i. to clean parts and themselves.  The nozzle of the compressed air was not reduced to less than 30 p.s.i.