OSHA Inspection: PLASTICS ENGINEERING COMPANY

Issued

Jan 31, 2025

Penalty

Initial $6,384 · Current $3,830 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.28(b)(3)(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;  On or about November 18, 2024, at an establishment located at 3518 Lakeshore Road, Sheboygan, Wisconsin; the fixed ladder used to access the Koppers, Model 10x42, S/N:  80-1121 for the Black Bay 6 did not have a swing gate or offset exposing employees to a five-foot fall hazard.

Issued

Jan 31, 2025

Abate by

Mar 3, 2025

Penalty

Initial $10,641 · Current $6,385 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.28(b)(6)(i):  Each employee less than 4 feet (1.2 m) above dangerous equipment is protected from falling into or onto the dangerous equipment by a guardrail system or a travel restraint system, unless the equipment is covered or guarded to eliminate the hazard.  On or about November 18, 2024, at an establishment located at 3518 Lakeshore Road, Sheboygan, Wisconsin; Black Bay 6 had unprotected steam pipes with a temperature of approximately 250 degree F exposing employees to burn hazards.

Issued

Jan 31, 2025

Abate by

Mar 10, 2025

Penalty

Initial $14,895 · Current $11,916 Reduced

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, 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(A), 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(B), 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(C), and 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(D):  (a)  On or about November 8, 2024 and thereafter, at an establishment located at 3518 Lakeshore Road, Sheboygan, Wisconsin; Black Bay 6 The Black Bay 6 Lockout Procedure revised 2/16/2017 did not address the wind down time of the melt rollers under the pneumatic and electrical energy sources exposing employees to caught between hazards.  (b)  On or about November 8, 2024 and thereafter, at an establishment located at 3518 Lakeshore Road, Sheboygan, Wisconsin; Black Bay 6 The Black Bay 6 Lockout Procedure revised 2/16/2017 did not address the verification all potentially hazardous stored or residual energy was relieved exposing employees to caught in between hazards.

Issued

Jan 31, 2025

Abate by

Mar 10, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(d):  The established procedure for the application of energy control (the lockout or tagout procedures) did not cover the actions listed in and was not done in sequence as required by 29 CFR 1910.147(d)(1)-(6):  (a)  On or about November 8, 2024, at an establishment located at 3518 Lakeshore Road, Sheboygan, Wisconsin; employees were exposed to machine hazards associated with moving parts when they engaged in removing a boulder on the Black Bay 6.  The employer did not ensure that employees implemented energy control application steps or equivalent protective measures prior to allowing them to remove boulder(s).  The machine was not deenergized prior to the employee engaging in the servicing / maintenance activity.  (b)  On or about November 8, 2024 and thereafter, at an establishment located at 3518 Lakeshore Road, Sheboygan, Wisconsin; employees were exposed to machine hazards associated with moving parts when they engaged in cleaning activities on the Black Bay 6.  The employer did not ensure that employees implemented energy control application steps or equivalent protective measures prior to allowing them to clean the melt rollers and finish rollers.  The machine was not deenergized prior to the employee engaging in the servicing / maintenance activity.  As a result, the remaining applicable energy control elements, involving machine isolation [1910.147(d)(3)], lockout/tagout device application [1910.147(d)(4)], dissipation of residual energy [1910(d)(5)(i)], and verification of isolation [1910.147(d)(6)] were not implemented to protect employees from machine hazards.

Issued

Jan 31, 2025

Abate by

Mar 10, 2025

Penalty

Initial $14,895 · Current $11,916 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(iii)(A):  Retraining shall be provided for all authorized and affected employees whenever there is a change in their job assignments, a change in machines, equipment or processes that present a new hazard, or when there is a change in the energy control procedures.  On or about November 8, 2024, at an establishment located at 3518 Lakeshore Road, Sheboygan, Wisconsin; employee(s) assigned to new job assignments had not received retraining on the energy control procedures for Black Bay 6 exposing employees to moving parts.

Issued

Jan 31, 2025

Abate by

Jun 2, 2025

Penalty

Initial $10,641 · Current $6,385 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.216(b)(1): Safety trip control. A safety trip control shall be provided in front and in back of each mill. It shall be accessible and shall operate readily on contact. The safety trip control shall be one of the following types or a combination thereof as outlined in 1910.216(b)(1)(i), 1910.216(b)(1)(ii), 1910.216(b)(1)(iii).  On or about November 18, 2024, at an establishment located at 3518 Lakeshore Road, Sheboygan, Wisconsin; Black Bay 6 did not have a safety trip control provided in front and in back of each mill exposing employees to caught in-between hazards.