OSHA Inspection: WISCONSIN POLYMERS LLC

Issued

Sep 4, 2024

Penalty

Initial $3,457 · Current $2,420 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.28(b)(3)(iv):(iv) Each employee is protected from falling into a ladderway floor hole or ladderway platform hole by a guardrail system and toeboards erected on all exposed sides, except at the entrance to the hole, where a self-closing gate or an offset must be used:   a) On or about May 22, 2024, at a workplace located at 111 North Douglas Street, Hortonville, Wisconsin in the production area; employees accessing the elevated platform behind the shredder were not protected from a fall hazard of over nine feet as the ladder access was not equipped with a self-closing gate or offset.   b) On or about May 22, 2024, at a workplace located at 111 North Douglas Street, Hortonville, Wisconsin in the production area; employees accessing the elevated platform along the silo were not protected from a fall hazard of over eight feet as the ladder access was not equipped with a self-closing gate or offset.

Issued

Sep 4, 2024

Penalty

Initial $2,765 · Current $1,936 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.  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.  On or about May 22, 2024, at a workplace located at 111 North Douglas Street, Hortonville, Wisconsin in the Production Area; the employer had not developed and implemented energy control procedures to ensure employees performing tooling changes, adjustments and/or cleaning were protected from hazardous energy sources prior to engaging in the servicing and/or maintenance tasks.

Issued

Sep 4, 2024

Penalty

Initial $2,765 · Current $1,936 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.178(q)(1): Any power-operated industrial truck not in safe operating condition shall be removed from service. All repairs shall be made by authorized personnel:  a) On or about May 22, 2024, at a workplace located at 111 North Douglas Street, Hortonville, Wisconsin in the production area; employees operating the Mitsubishi AF82F40412 LP forklift did not remove the lift from service when the bracket securing the LP cylinder was damaged and/or observed to be damaged.  b) On or about May 22, 2024, at a workplace located at 111 North Douglas Street, Hortonville, Wisconsin in the production area; employees operating the CAT AT9034949 LP forklift did not remove the lift from service when the vehicle's horn was not functioning.