OSHA Inspection: COLEPAK, INC.

Issued

Oct 3, 2024

Abate by

Dec 27, 2024

Penalty

Initial $15,970 · Current $15,970

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii): The procedures shall clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, and techniques to be utilized for the control of hazardous energy, and the means to enforce compliance including, but not limited to, the following: (A) A specific statement of the intended use of the procedure;?  (B) Specific procedural steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy;?  (C) Specific procedural steps for the placement, removal and transfer of lockout devices or tagout devices and the responsibility for them; and?  (D) Specific requirements for testing a machine or equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of lockout devices, tagout devices, and other energy control measures.?  ?  a) On or about June 11, 2024, the employer did not ensure that the machine-specific procedure for the 50-inch die cutters, including but not limited to work center 245, included the requirements listed in (A) through (D) of this section in that it did not address procedures for employees setting up die plates and performing knife adjustments, unjamming, cleaning, and preventive maintenance; and it did not require isolation at the electrical disconnect, did not require lockout for the pneumatic, and did not address gravity at the ram, nor did it require verification of the effectiveness of the energy control measures.

Issued

Oct 3, 2024

Abate by

Dec 27, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(d): Application of control. The established procedures for the application of energy control (the lockout or tagout procedures) shall cover the following elements and actions and shall be done in the following sequence:?  ?(1) Preparation for shutdown. Before an authorized or affected employee turns off a machine or equipment, the authorized employee shall have knowledge of the type and magnitude of the energy, the hazards of the energy to be controlled, and the method or means to control the energy.?  (2) Machine or equipment shutdown. The machine or equipment shall be turned off or shut down using the procedures established for the machine or equipment. An orderly shutdown must be utilized to avoid any additional or increased hazard(s) to employees as a result of the equipment stoppage.?  (3) Machine or equipment isolation. All energy isolating devices that are needed to control the energy to the machine or equipment shall be physically located and operated in such a manner as to isolate the machine or equipment from the energy source(s).?  (4) Lockout or tagout device application.?  (4)(i) Lockout or tagout devices shall be affixed to each energy isolating device by authorized employees.?  (4)(ii) Lockout devices, where used, shall be affixed in a manner to that will hold the energy isolating devices in a "safe" or "off" position.?  (5) Stored energy.?  (5)(i) Following the application of lockout or tagout devices to energy isolating devices, all potentially hazardous stored or residual energy shall be relieved, disconnected, restrained, and otherwise rendered safe.?  (6) Verification of isolation. Prior to starting work on machines or equipment that have been locked out or tagged out, the authorized employee shall verify that isolation and deenergization of the machine or equipment have been accomplished.?  ?  a) On or about May 12, 2024, the employer did not ensure that (d)(1) through (d)(6) were followed by maintenance when performing preventive maintenance on equipment including but not limited to the 50-inch die cutters  at work center 245, exposing employees to gravity, pneumatic, and electrical energy from moving parts such as shafts, knives, the ram, rollers, and belts and pulleys when wiping and lubricating gears, oiling at shafts and rollers, and lubricating rotating rods.  b) On or about June 11, 2024, the employer did not ensure that (d)(1) through (d)(6) were followed by operators when performing die changes, knife adjustments, and cleaning on equipment including but not limited to the 50-inch die cutters  at work center 245, exposing employees to gravity, pneumatic, and electrical energy from moving parts such as shafts, knives, the ram, rollers, and belts and pulleys.

Issued

Oct 3, 2024

Abate by

Dec 27, 2024

Penalty

Initial $15,970 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(i)(A): Each authorized employee shall receive training in the recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and the methods and means necessary for energy isolation and control.  (A) Each authorized employee shall receive training in the recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and the methods and means necessary for energy isolation and control.?  ?  a) On or about June 11, 2024, the employer did not ensure that operators performing setup and cleaning on 50-inch die cutters (work center 245) were trained as authorized employees for the application, usage, and the removal of lockout devices nor were they adequately trained on the recognition of hazardous energy sources such as, but not limited to electrical, pneumatic, and gravity in that the operators were using the emergency stops and the interlock on the gate as their lockout and did not disconnect and lockout the electrical, did not  isolate and bleed off  and lockout the pneumatic energy, and did not protect employees from gravity energy by blocking the ram at the die when changing die plates.

Issued

Oct 3, 2024

Abate by

Dec 27, 2024

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(7)(iii)(B): Employee retraining. Additional retraining shall also be conducted whenever a periodic inspection under paragraph (c)(6) of this section reveals, or whenever the employer has reason to believe that there are deviations from or inadequacies in the employee's knowledge or use of the energy control procedures.  a) On or before May 12, 2024, the employer did not retrain maintenance employees who were not proficient on the methods and procedures to lockout energy such as but not limited to locking out at the electrical disconnect, locking out the pneumatic air, and blocking gravity energy at the ram;  and verifying the isolation of the energy sources on the strippers including but not limited to work center 245. Maintenance employees were exposed to rotating shafts, rollers, belts and pulleys, die plates, knives, and gears when performing preventive maintenance including wiping and lubricating gears, oil at shafts and rollers, and lubricate rotating rods.

Issued

Oct 3, 2024

Abate by

Nov 21, 2024

Penalty

Initial $9,126 · Current $4,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(1)(i): Safe operation. The employer shall ensure that each powered industrial truck operator is 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 June 11, 2024, the employer did not ensure that all forklift operators were trained in forklift operation, including formal instruction, practical training, and a performance evaluation prior to operating equipment such as the Toyota Electric forklift.

Issued

Oct 3, 2024

Abate by

Nov 21, 2024

Penalty

Initial $15,970 · Current $9,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1): Types of guarding. One or more methods of machine guarding shall be 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. Examples of guarding methods are-barrier guards, two-hand tripping devices, electronic safety devices, etc. ? a) On or about June 11, 2024, the employer did not ensure that the 50-inch die cutters including but not limited to work center 245 were guarded to protect the infeed operator from the knife heads and the opening and closing of the plates.  Employees were working within 10 inches of the knife heads and the plates.