OSHA Inspection: LA CROSSE MILLING COMPANY

Issued

Sep 27, 2024

Abate by

Nov 19, 2024

Penalty

Initial $4,839 · Current $1,936 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.25(b)(7):  The employer did not ensure that standard stairs are used to provide access from one walking-working surface to another when operations necessitate regular and routine travel between levels, including access to operating platforms for equipment:   (a) South Plant - Rolling Plant, 2nd floor, Pipeline 10; On or about April 18, 2024, employees were tasked daily, several times per day, to insert and take out magnetic balls from a pipe opening in which a metal ladder was utilized.  Employees were not able to maintain hand contact with the metal ladder while inserting and removing the balls and were exposed to a fall hazard of approximately eight feet.  A platform was not accessible for use in lieu of the ladder.

Issued

Sep 27, 2024

Abate by

Nov 19, 2024

Penalty

Initial $6,453 · Current $2,581 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) South Plant - Grinding Plant, 1st Floor, Hammer Mill G1; On or about April 18, 2024, the  motor shaft was not fully guarded.  (b) South Plant - Grinding Plant , 1st Floor, Hammer Mill G2; On or about April 18, 2024, the  motor shaft was not fully guarded.

Issued

Sep 27, 2024

Abate by

Dec 20, 2024

Penalty

Initial $8,067 · Current $3,227 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.272(e)(1)(ii):  Current employees and new employees prior to starting work in the grain handling facility were not trained in the specific procedures and safety practices applicable to their job tasks including but not limited to cleaning procedures for grinding equipment, clearing procedures for choked legs, housekeeping procedures, hot work procedures, preventive maintenance procedures and lockout/tagout procedures:  (a) Throughout the facility, Grain Legs; On or about April 4, 2024, the employer did not provide adequate training, as equipment-specific lockout procedures for servicing and maintenance tasks including, but not limited to, changing chains and cups, belts, and bearings, were not utilized.  (b) South Plant  - Grinding Plant, 1st Floor,  Shaker; On or about April 11, 2024, the employer did not provide adequate training, as equipment-specific lockout procedures for servicing and maintenance tasks including replacing the motor, were not utilized.  (c) Boiler; On or about April 14, 2024, the employer did not provide adequate training, as equipment-specific lockout procedures for servicing and maintenance tasks were not utilized.  (d) Throughout the facility; On or about April 18, 2024, the employer did not provide adequate training, as equipment-specific lockout procedures for servicing and maintenance tasks including, but not limited to, the addition of new auger(s) (i.e. MTRI rebuild) and changing out indicators and steam lines on the destoner, were not utilized.  (e) Throughout the facility; On or about April 18, 2024, the employer did not provide adequate training, as equipment-specific lockout procedures for servicing and maintenance tasks per the dust collection systems, were not utilized.  (f) North Plant, 2nd Floor - Buhler Roller Mill Lines 1 & 2; On or about April 19, 2024, the employer did not provide adequate training, as equipment-specific lockout procedures were not utilized when cleaning the roller mill lines.  The energy sources were not locked out by the employees performing the cleaning, names were not on the locks,  and the keys were not under the exclusive control of the employees performing the task.  (g) North Plant, 2nd Floor FOM Auger; On or about April 30, 2024, the employer did not provide adequate training, as equipment-specific lockout procedures were not utilized when performing servicing and maintenance tasks such as cleaning and unplugging the auger.

Issued

Sep 27, 2024

Abate by

Dec 20, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.272(m)(4):  The employer did not implement procedures in the grain handling facility for the use of tags and locks which would prevent the inadvertent application of energy or motion to equipment being repaired, serviced, or adjusted, which could result in employee injury; and/or locks and tags were not removed in accordance with established procedures by the employee installing them or, if unavailable, by his or her supervisor:  (a) Throughout the facility, Grain Legs; On or about April 4 ,2024, the employer did not implement written lockout procedures for servicing and maintenance tasks including, but not limited to, changing chains and cups, belts, and bearings.  (b) South Plant - Grinding Plant, 1st Floor, Shaker; On or about April 11, 2024, the employer did not implement written lockout procedures for servicing and maintenance tasks including replacing the motor.  (c) Boiler; On or about April 14, 2024, the employer did not implement written lockout procedures for servicing and maintenance tasks.  (d) Throughout the facility; On or about April 18, 2024, the employer did not implement written lockout procedures for servicing and maintenance tasks including, but not limited to, the addition of new auger(s) (i.e. MTRI rebuild) and changing out indicators and steam lines on the destoner.  (e) Throughout the facility; On or about April 18, 2024, the employer did not implement written lockout procedures for servicing and maintenance tasks per the dust collection systems.  (f) North Plant, 2nd Floor - Buhler Roller Mill Lines 1 & 2; On or about April 19, 2024, the employer did not implement written lockout procedures for employees that clean the roller mill lines.   (g) North Plant, 2nd Floor FOM Auger; On or about April 30, 2024, the employer did not implement written lockout procedures for performing servicing and maintenance tasks such as cleaning and unplugging the auger.

Issued

Sep 27, 2024

Abate by

Nov 19, 2024

Penalty

Initial $11,292 · Current $4,517 Reduced

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) South Plant - Bulk House; On or about April 19, 2024, employees were exposed to fire and explosion hazards as the housekeeping program was not adequately implemented to address the necessary frequency of cleaning to sufficiently reduce accumulations of combustible grain dust throughout the building on ledges, floors, and equipment.  The Bulk House had poor process containment and did not have a sufficient local exhaust dust collection system in place to capture the large amount of dust produced during bulk loading of trucks.  The dust collection system did not adequately capture fugitive dust emissions as dust was leaking out of several pieces of open ducting.  Maintenance of the system and frequency of cleaning did not adequately address reduction of dust accumulation.  (b) South Plant - Old Warehouse, 2nd floor, Sacking Dust Collection Room; On or about April 19, 2024, employees were exposed to fire and explosion hazards as the housekeeping program was not adequately implemented to address the necessary frequency of cleaning to sufficiently reduce accumulations of combustible grain dust throughout the room on ledges, floors, and equipment.    (c) South Plant - Grinding Plant, Basement; On or about April 19, 2024, employees were exposed to fire and explosion hazards as the housekeeping program was not adequately implemented to address the necessary frequency of cleaning to sufficiently reduce accumulations of combustible grain dust throughout the building on ledges, floors, and equipment.

Issued

Sep 27, 2024

Abate by

Dec 19, 2025

Penalty

Initial $11,292 · Current $4,517 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.272(l)(2):  Filter collectors installed after March 30, 1988 were not: (i) located outside of the facility; or (ii) located in an area inside the facility protected by an explosion suppression system; or (iii) located in an area inside the facility that is separated from other areas of the facility by construction having at least one hour fire-resistance rating, and which is adjacent to an exterior wall and vented to the outside:   (a) South Plant - New Warehouse, Barley Room Dust Collector; On April 19, 2024, the dust collector was located inside the warehouse and returned air to the barley room sacking area.  The dust collector was not protected by an explosion suppression system, it was not separated from other areas of the facility by construction having at least a one hour fire-resistance rating, and it was not vented to the outside.   (b) South Plant - Cleaning Plant, 3rd floor, Torit (model TD3060-O.B. S/N BB5981) Dust Collector; On April 19, 2024, the dust collector was located inside and returned air to the 3rd floor.  The dust collector was not protected by an explosion suppression system, it was not separated from other areas of the facility by construction having at least a one hour fire-resistance rating, and it  was not vented to the outside.

Issued

Sep 27, 2024

Abate by

Nov 19, 2024

Penalty

Initial $8,067 · Current $3,227 Reduced

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 (such as hammer mills, grinders, and pulverizers), dust collection equipment including filter collectors, and bucket elevators:  (a) North and South Plant; On or about April 17, 2024, inspection of equipment such as, but not limited to, the dryers, grain stream processing equipment, and dust collection systems primarily included visual checks and greasing of equipment.  Preventative maintenance inspection, testing, and replacement per manufacturer's specifications per mechanical (i.e. belts, bearings, knives, etc.) and safety control equipment (i.e. temperature, pressure, level sensors; proximity switches; magnetic systems; etc.) was not provided for equipment including, but not limited to, the following:  a. Bucket elevators  b. Hammer mills c. Pulverizers  d. Roller mills  e. Conveyors  f. Dryers  g. Cutters h. Dust collection systems (i.e. chemical suppression (color sorter & cutting plant), filter changes) including, but not limited to, the following: North Plant  - Color Sorting Roof - CamCorp Dust Collector - Cutting Plant - 2nd floor - Torit (s/n 243478) Dust Collector - QC Roof - 2nd  Floor - MAC (90-FMCF-10-012) and the Buhler (54960837) Dust Collectors  - QC Packing - 2nd Floor - MAC (99-ARF-1) Dust Collector - QC 4th Floor - MAC (88725-001-1) and Buhler (10-337-669) Flour Dust Collectors South Plant  - Old Warehouse - Sacking Room - 2nd  Floor Dust Collector - New Warehouse -  Fiber Room Dust Collector (112320) - New Warehouse - Barley Room Dust Collector  - Shop Roof - Cleaning Pneumafil (18872) Dust Collector - Shop Roof - Destoner Camcorp (5587-1) Dust Collector - Cleaning Plant - 3rd  Floor Torit (BB5981) Dust Collector - Grinding Plant - Hammer Mill Torit (BB-3652) Dust Collector - Front Dust Collector Pneumafil (Model 13.2)   i. Magnehelic inspections per dust collection systems;  j. Inspection of pneumatic conveying to include dust collector systems and ducting (i.e. elbows, etc.) per dust accumulation.  Maintenance procedures for removing product build up in the ducting, dust collector, and other equipment; k. Maintenance and repair on closed conveyance systems (i.e. leaking spouts, ducting; worn-out gaskets; and other emission sources).

Issued

Sep 27, 2024

Abate by

Nov 19, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.272(m)(3):  The employer did not maintain a certification record of each preventive maintenance inspection, performed in accordance with this paragraph (m), containing the date of the inspection, the name of the person who performed the inspection and the serial number, or other identifier, of the equipment specified in paragraph (m)(1)(i) of this section that was inspected:   (a) North and South Plant; On or about April 17, 2024, records of visual and greasing inspections of equipment such as, but not limited to, the dryers, grain stream processing equipment, and dust collection systems did not include the serial number, or other equipment specific identifier for each piece of equipment, in order to document which piece of equipment was inspected.  The records also did not include the results of each inspection in order to track deficiencies to resolution.

Issued

Sep 27, 2024

Penalty

Initial $11,292 · Current $4,517 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.307(b):  Areas designated as hazardous (classified) locations under the Class and Zone system and areas designated under the Class and Division system established after August 13, 2007 were not properly documented:  (a) North Plant - 4th Floor, Flour Collection Room; On or about April 17, 2024; The employer did not produce and maintain documentation of the hazardous classified location per the generation of combustible grain dust.  (b) South Plant - Throughout the facility; On or about April 17, 2024; The employer did not produce and maintain documentation of hazardous classified locations per the generation of combustible grain dust.

Issued

Sep 27, 2024

Abate by

Jan 31, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.307(c)(2)(i):  Equipment in hazardous (classified) location(s) was not approved for the ignitable or combustible properties of the specific gas, vapor, dust, or fiber that was or could be present:   (a) South Plant - Bulk House, 2nd Floor; On or about April 19, 2024, equipment including, but not limited to, the Baldor Reliance motor(s) and associated drive systems were not dust-tight and were not approved for a Class II Division 2 hazardous location, where the bulk loading of Class II combustible grain dust was performed.

Issued

Sep 27, 2024

Abate by

Dec 20, 2024

Penalty

Initial $11,292 · Current $4,517 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(3)(iii):  Employee training did not include the measures employees can take to protect themselves from chemical hazards, including specific procedures the employer had implemented to protect employees from exposure to hazardous chemicals, such as appropriate work practices, emergency procedures and personal protective equipment to be used:  (a) Throughout the facility; On or about April 17, 2024, personnel tasked to respond to combustible grain dust fires and smoldering events, that have the potential to lead to flash fires, deflagrations, and explosions, within the grain handling equipment, were not adequately trained per emergency response and mitigation procedures.