OSHA Inspection: ROSS - WELLS, INC.

Issued

2025-05-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4729.00 · Current $2364.00 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.   On or about January 16, 2025, at a workplace located at N3528 State Highway 13, Medford, Wisconsin in the Production Area; the employer did not develop, document and utilize energy control procedures for equipment such as but not limited to grinder(s), small and large mixers, and homogenizer when employees were performing servicing and/or maintenance tasks, including but not limited to cleaning and sanitation tasks, exposing employees to entanglement and/or shear hazards.  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.

Issued

2025-05-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

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.  On or about January 16, 2025, at a workplace located at N3528 State Highway 13, Medford, Wisconsin in the Production Area; employees performing cleaning and unjamming tasks had not been trained on the methods and means necessary for controlling hazardous energy by affixed lockout devices to energy disconnects.

Issued

2025-05-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(d)(4)(i): Lockout or tagout devices shall be affixed to each energy isolating device by authorized employees:   On or about January 15, 2025, at a workplace located at N3528 State Highway 13, Medford, Wisconsin; each employee engaged in servicing and/or maintenance activities did not affix a lockout device to each energy disconnect prior to performing cleaning and sanitation tasks inside the grinder and mixers.

Issued

2025-05-02 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-07-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4729.00 · Current $2364.00 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 January 16, 2025, at a workplace located at N3528 State Highway 13, Medford, Wisconsin in the Production Area; employees were not protected from the unguarded screw auger at the base of the grinder after the metal detector conveyor exposing employees to an entanglement and/or shear hazards.  b) On or about January 16, 2025, at a workplace located at N3528 State Highway 13, Medford, Wisconsin in the Production Area; employees were not protected from the unguarded screw auger at the base of the small mixer exposing employees to entanglement and/or shear hazards.

Issued

2025-05-02 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.212(a)(3)(ii): The point of operation of machines whose operation exposes an employee to injury, shall be guarded. The guarding device shall be in conformity with any appropriate standards therefor, or, in the absence of applicable specific standards, shall be so designed and constructed as to prevent the operator from having any part of his body in the danger zone during the operating cycle.   On or about January 16, 2025, at a workplace located at N3528 State Highway 13, Medford, Wisconsin in the Production Area; the meat grinder was not guarded to prevent access to the rotating auger and grinder plate exposing employees to entanglement and/or shear hazards.

Issued

2025-05-02 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-05-27 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.219(d)(1): Guarding. Pulleys, any parts of which are seven (7) feet or less from the floor or working platform, shall be guarded in accordance with the standards specified in paragraphs (m) and (o) of this section. Pulleys serving as balance wheels (e.g., punch presses) on which the point of contact between belt and pulley is more than six feet six inches (6 ft. 6 in.) from the floor or platform may be guarded with a disk covering the spokes.  On or about January 16, 2025, at a workplace located at N3528 State Highway 13, Medford, Wisconsin in the Production Area; the horizontal belt transmitting power from the electric motor to the auger on the screw auger conveyor at the meat grinder was not guarded to prevent exposure to pinch point hazards created with the pulleys.

Issued

2025-05-02 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-05-27 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.219(e)(1)(i): Where both runs of horizontal belts are seven (7) feet or less from the floor level, the guard shall extend to at least fifteen (15) inches above the belt or to a standard height, except that where both runs of a horizontal belt are 42 inches or less from the floor, the belt shall be fully enclosed in accordance with paragraphs (m) and (o) of this section.  On or about January 16, 2025, at a workplace located at N3528 State Highway 13, Medford, Wisconsin in the Production Area; the horizontal belt transmitting power from the electric motor to the auger on the screw auger conveyor at the meat grinder was not guarded to prevent exposure to pinch point hazards created with the pulleys.

Issued

2025-05-02 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-06-09 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.178(a)(6): The user shall see that all nameplates and markings are in place and are maintained in a legible condition:  On or about January 16, 2025, at a workplace located at N3528 State Highway 13, Medford, Wisconsin in the Production Area; the employer did not ensure there was a legible nameplate for the Toyota "1" forklift exposing employees to potential tip over hazards.