OSHA Inspection: MOUNTAIN PALLET LLC

Issued

Jan 27, 2025

Penalty

Initial $2,837 · Current $2,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.22(a)(2):  The floor of each workroom has not been maintained in a clean and, to the extent feasible, in a dry condition.  When wet processes are used, drainage must be maintained and, to the extent feasible, dry standing places, such as false floors, platforms, and mats must be provided.   (a)  Lower Building:  On October 29, 2024 and times prior, employees were exposed to tripping hazards due to an accumulation of sawdust bags and pallets lying in the walking-working surfaces of the building.  (b)  Lower Building:  On October 29, 2024 and times prior, combustible wood dust accumulated on the floor below and behind the dual blade resaw.

Issued

Jan 27, 2025

Penalty

Initial $3,687 · Current $2,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.133(a)(1):  The employer did not ensure that each affected employee uses appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to eye or face hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation.  (a)  Upper Building:  On October 29, 2024 employees were using a pneumatic nail gun while assembling pallets without the use of eye protection.

Issued

Jan 27, 2025

Abate by

Feb 28, 2025

Penalty

Initial $4,729 · Current $3,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(1): The employer did not establish a program consisting of energy control procedures, employee training and periodic inspections to ensure that before any employee performs 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)  Lower Building:  On December 19, 2024 and times prior to, employees conduct maintenance and servicing activities on equipment, such as but not limited to, changing blades on the chop saw and resaw.  The employer had not established and developed an energy control program to protect employees from the unexpected start-up/energization of equipment during maintenance activities.

Issued

Jan 27, 2025

Abate by

Feb 28, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(d)(4)(i):  Lockout or tagout devices were not affixed to each energy isolating device by authorized employees:  (a)  Lower Building resaw:  On December 19, 2024 and times prior to, employees conducted maintenance and servicing activities on equipment such as but not limited to, changing blades on the chop saw.  The employer did not ensure authorized employees were affixing lockout devices to 480-volt energy isolation devices prior to conducting maintenance activities on equipment.

Issued

Jan 27, 2025

Abate by

Feb 28, 2025

Penalty

Initial $2,837 · Current $1,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.157(c)(1):  The employer did not provide portable fire extinguishers and mount, locate and identify them so that they are readily accessible to employees without subjecting the employees to possible injury.  (a) Lower Building: On October 29, 2024 and times prior, employees generated combustible wood dust during the manufacturing of wooden pallets.  The employer had not provided charged portable fire extinguishers in the work area.

Issued

Jan 27, 2025

Abate by

Mar 31, 2025

Penalty

Initial $4,729 · Current $4,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.212(a)(1):  One or more methods of machine guarding were 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)  Lower Building:  On December 19, 2024 and times prior to, employee operated a chop saw to cut boards for building pallets.  The employer did not provide adequate machine guarding exposing employees to the blade of the chop saw.

Issued

Jan 27, 2025

Abate by

Feb 28, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.217(b)(4)(i): The pedal mechanism on the chop saw was not protected to prevent unintended operation from falling or moving objects or by accidental stepping onto the pedal:  (a)  Lower Building chop saw:  On December 19, 2024, an employee used a foot pedal to operate the chop saw.  The foot pedal was not guarded to protect employees from unintended operation from falling objects or accidental stepping onto pedal.

Issued

Jan 27, 2025

Abate by

Feb 28, 2025

Penalty

Initial $2,837 · Current $1,200 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(e)(1):  The employers did not develop, implement, and maintain at each workplace, a written hazard communication program which at least describes how the criteria specified in in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) will be met:    (a)  Mountain Pallet:  On October 29, 2024, employees used saws to dismantle and rebuild pallets which generates combustible wood dust.  The employer had not implemented a written hazard communication program for employees exposed to combustible wood dust.

Issued

Jan 27, 2025

Abate by

Feb 13, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(h)(3): The employee training did not include the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(3)(i) through (h)(3)(iv):    (a) Lower Building:  On October 29, 2024, employees used saws to dismantle and rebuild pallets producing combustible wood dust.  The employer had not provided employees training on the hazards associated with the combustible wood dust.

Issued

Jan 27, 2025

Abate by

Feb 28, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(g)(8):  The employer did not maintain in the workplace copies of the required safety data sheets for each hazardous chemical, and did not ensure that they were readily accessible during each work shift to employees when they were in their work area(s):    (a)  Lower Building:  On October 29, 2024 and times prior to, employees used saws to dismantle and rebuild pallets producing combustible wood dust.  The employer did not maintain copies of the safety data sheets for the wood dust and wood products.

Issued

Jan 27, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.178(l)(1)(i):  The employer did not 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) Lower Building:  On October 29, 2024, employees operated a Doosan forklift (Model # G25E-7 Serial #FGA1M-1290-04108) to move pallets from one building to another.  The employer had not ensured employees received training and were evaluated on the operation of the forklift prior to forklift use.