OSHA Inspection: VALLEY POPCORN

Issued

May 22, 2024

Penalty

Initial $4,839 · Current $2,419 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.157(c)(4): The employer shall assure that portable fire extinguishers are maintained in a fully charged and operable condition and kept in their designated places at all times except during use.  On or about February 7, 2024, at the workplace located at 6172 Dixie Road, Neenah, Wisconsin: on Line 1, the employer did not ensure that a fire extinguisher was removed from service after extinguishing a fire and replaced, or that alternate equivalent protection was provided, exposing an employee to fire hazards.

Issued

May 22, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.157(e)(2): Portable extinguishers or hose used in lieu thereof under paragraph (d)(3) of this section shall be visually inspected monthly.  On or about February 7, 2024, at the workplace located at 6172 Dixie Road, Neenah, Wisconsin: the employer failed to ensure portable fire extinguishers were visually inspected monthly, exposing employees to potential thermal injuries.

Issued

May 22, 2024

Penalty

Initial $6,453 · Current $3,226 Reduced

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.  On or about February 7, 2024, at the workplace located at 6172 Dixie Road, Neenah, Wisconsin: the employer did not develop and document energy control procedures.  a) The employer did not develop, document, and utilize energy control procedures for employees engaged in servicing and maintenance work such as, but not limited to, cleaning, jams, and set up for Canary Bagger (Serial: U19919, Model 12-19-HP).   b) The employer did not develop, document, and utilize energy control procedures for employees engaged in servicing and maintenance work such as, but not limited to, cleaning, jams, and set up for Line One.   c) The employer did not develop, document, and utilize energy control procedures for employees engaged in servicing and maintenance work such as, but not limited to, cleaning, jams, and set up for Line Two.  d) The employer did not develop, document, and utilize energy control procedures for employees engaged in servicing and maintenance work such as, but not limited to, cleaning, jams, and set up for Line Three.  e) The employer did not develop, document, and utilize energy control procedures for employees engaged in servicing and maintenance work such as, but not limited to, cleaning, jams, and set up for Line Four.  f) The employer did not develop, document, and utilize energy control procedures for employees engaged in servicing and maintenance work such as, but not limited to, preventive maintenance, change, adjust, and repair a part for Lantech Case erecting system (Serial: 20214388 Model: C-2000-Tape).  g) The employer did not develop, document, and utilize energy control procedures for employees engaged in servicing and maintenance work such as, but not limited to, preventive maintenance, change, adjust, and repair a part for Pearson Case erecting system (Serial: 2018CE3500272 Model: CE35-20T).   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.

Issued

May 22, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

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:  On or about February 7, 2024, at the workplace located at 6172 Dixie Road, Neenah, Wisconsin: the employer did not provide training to recognize all applicable hazardous energy sources as well as the means and methods to accomplish proper energy isolating steps exposing employees to accident or inadvertent restart of the equipment.

Issued

May 22, 2024

Penalty

Initial $9,678 · Current $4,839 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(g)(1)(iv)(A): Unless specifically permitted otherwise in paragraph (g)(1)(ii) of this section, flexible cords and cables may not be used as a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure.   On or about February 7, 2024, at the workplace located at 6172 Dixie Road, Neenah, Wisconsin: the employer was utilizing an extension cord to power a seed dispenser on line one instead of fixed wiring.  Valley Popcorn was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard (29 CFR 1910.305(g)(1)(iv)(A): which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1385006, citation number 1, item number 4/c and was affirmed as a final order on September 5,2019, with respect to a workplace located at 6172 Dixie Road, Neenah, Wisconsin.

Issued

May 22, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(b)(1)(i): Conductors entering cutout boxes, cabinets, or fittings shall be protected from abrasion, and openings through which conductors enter shall be effectively closed.   At an establishment located at 6172 Dixie Road, Neenah, Wisconsin:  On or about February 7, 2024, at the workplace located at 6172 Dixie Road, Neenah, Wisconsin: electrical cables entering junction boxes were not protected from abrasions, exposing employees to potential contact with energized electrical parts in case the cables insulation is damaged.  a) On or about February 7, 2024, on Line 1 Motor (Serial: F1404222752) the conduit was pulled exposing wires to abrasion while employees were operating while being exposed to electrical shock hazards.  b) On or about February 7, 2024, on Line 2 Speed Control Genesis the conduit was pulled exposing wires to abrasion while employees were operating while being exposed to electrical shock hazards.