A nationwide ice maker has been cited by OSHA for 9 serious and 3 repeat workplace safety violations for $147,000 at it’s Fairport, NY, plant. The inspection was conducted under OSHA’s Site-Specific Targeting Program that directs enforcement resources to high-hazard workplaces where the highest rates of injuries and illnesses occur. OSHA inspectors found workers exposed to recurring hazards including failing to establish written mechanical integrity procedures for repair work and inspections, inspect and test process equipment in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations and train workers on required lockout/tagout procedures. These conditions resulted in the issuance of three repeat citations with $104,500 in fines. Serious violations include fall hazards due to the lack of handrails on stairways, failure to ensure authorized workers affixed lockout/tagout hardware on mechanical equipment under maintenance, and failure to provide permanent wiring in lieu of flexible cord sets, among other violations. This resulted in the issuance of nine serious citations with $42,900 in fines. Here is a breakdown of the citations.
PLEASE NOTE that the Repeat citations were issued based on previous inspections at three (3) different facilities.
Citation 1 Item 1
Type of Violation: Serious; $3300.00
29 CFR 1910.23(d)(l)(iv) Stairways more than 44 inches wide but less than 88 inches wide, did not have one handrail on each enclosed side and one stair railing on each open side.
a) On or about 2/21/13 stairway entrance to Turbo Room 1 & 2; enclosed stairway with a width of 48 inches did not have a handrail on the left side descending. Corrected During Inspection
Citation 1 Item 2
Type of Violation: Serious; $5500.00
29 CFR 1910.24(e): Fixed stairs were not installed at angles to the horizontal between 30 degrees and 50 degrees.
a) On or about 2/21/13 in the Main Plant; the stairs in the north hallway, used to access the second floor and the Turbo area, were at an angle of 55 degrees to the horizontal.
b) On or about 3/21/13 in the Main Plant; the stairs which provide access to the roof from the Turbo 5 area, were at an angle of 60 degrees to the horizontal.
Citation 1 Item 3
Type of Violation: Serious; $5500.00
29 CFR 1910.119( e)(3)(v): The process hazard analysis did not address facility siting.
a) On or about 2/26/13 in the area between Dock #9 and the ramp to Dock #7; the employer’s process hazard analysis, conducted on May 20, 2011, failed to address the hazards of specific ammonia pipes being struck by moving vehicles, such as but not limited to, the four inch ammonia line suction line, along the north side of the Dock #7 ramp.
Citation 1 Item 4
Type of Violation: Serious; $5500.00
29 CFR 1910.119(f)(1)(ii)(A): Written operating procedures did not address the consequences of deviations;
a) On or about 2/21/13 throughout the Main Plant; oil draining procedures, such as but not limited to, Intercooler Float Column ( ICl-11), House Oil Pot (CPL-17), Ice Oil Pot (CPL-12), Gylcol Cooler ( HXl-21, HXl-19), did not include the consequences of trapping ammonia between two closed valves.
Citation 1 Item 5
Type of Violation: Serious; $5500.00
29 CFR 1910.147(c)(5)(i): Locks, tags, chains, wedges, key blocks, adapter pins, self-locking fasteners, or other hardware were not provided by the employer for isolating, securing or blocking of machines or equipment from energy sources:
a) On or about 2/26/13 in the #7 Screw Conveyor area; an employee assisting with the installation of a new horizontal and vertical screw conveyor to feed ice to the Sorting System and Ice Rake, was not provided with hardware, such as but not limited to Jocks, tags, fasteners, for isolating the hazardous energy sources associated with this service and maintenance work activity.
Citation 1 Item 6
Type of Violation: Serious; $5500.00
29 CFR 1910.147(d)(4)(i): Lockout or tagout devices were not affixed to each energy isolating device by authorized employees:
a) On or about 2/26/13 in the #7 Screw Conveyor area; employer does not protect employees from hazardous energy sources when they are involved in service and maintenance activities. A recent example is when three employees were installing a new horizontal and vertical screw conveyor to feed ice to the Sorting system and Ice Rake and only two locks were attached to each of the two energy sources.
Citation 1 Item 7
Type of Violation: Serious; $3300.00
29 CFR 1910.303(g)(l)(ii): The required working space about electric equipment rated 600 volts, nominal, or less to ground, was used for storage:
a) On or about 2/21/13 in the Wash House; empty 5.gallon and one gallon plastic pails, stacks of plastic packing materials and plastic crates were found stacked in front of electrical panels C-11 and C- 24 and two local disconnects, 480 and 208 volts AC, impeding access.
Citation 1 Item 8
Type of Violation: Serious; $4400.00
29 CFR 1910.305(a)(2)(i): Temporary electrical power and lighting installations rated 600 volts, nominal, or less were used for purposes other than those permitted in subparagraphs (A), (B) and (C) of this paragraph:
a) On or about 2/21/13 in the Block Press machine; a relocatable power tap was attached to the side of the (ice) Block Press machine with plastic ties, plugged into an extension cord and being used to supply power to the hopper shakers on the fill chute of this machine exposing employees to con tact with electric current and fire.
Citation 1 Item 9
Type of Violation: Serious; $4400.00
29 CFR 1910.305(g)(l)(iv)(A): Flexible cords and/or cables were used as a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure:
a) On or about 2/21/13 in the Packaging area on 525 Bagger; an extension cord was being used to supply power to a portable hot air gun which was being used to warm safety switches on the bagging machine exposing employees to contact with electric current.
Citation 2 Item 1
Type of Violation: Repeat; $38500.00
29 CFR 1910.119(j)(2): The employer did not establish written procedures to maintain the on-going integrity of process equipment:
a) On or about 2/26/13 throughout the ammonia refrigeration facility; employer did not have a written procedure that described the inspection and testing of the ammonia refrigeration piping systems (insulated and uninsulated piping) in the Main building and Building #11.
b) On or about 2126/13 throughout the ammonia refrigeration facility; employer did not have a written procedure which described the inspection and testing of the ammonia refrigeration pressure vessels and tanks ( insulated and uninsulated ) in the Main building and Building #11.
c) On or about 2/26/13 throughout the ammonia refrigeration facility; employer did not have a written procedure which described the inspection and testing of the ammonia refrigeration safety relief devices in the Main Building and Building #11.
d) On or about 2/26/13 throughout the ammonia refrigeration facility; employer did not have a written procedure which described the testing of the ammonia compressors in the Main Building.
e) On or about 2/26/13 throughout the ammonia refrigeration facility; employer did not have a written procedure which described the inspection and testing of the ammonia pumps in the Main Building.
Company was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 1910.119 (J)(2), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 314235276, Citation Number 1, Item Number 4A and was affirmed as a final order on 12/08/12, with respect to a workplace located in Aston, Pa.
Citation 2 Item 2a
Type of Violation: Repeat; $38500.00
29 CFR 1910.119(j)(4)(iii): The frequency of inspections and tests of process equipment to maintain its mechanical integrity, was not consistent with applicable manufacturer’s recommendations and good engineering practices, or more frequently determined to be necessary by prior operating experience:
a) On or about 2/26/13 throughout the ammonia refrigeration facility; employer last conducted non-destructive testing of the ammonia refrigeration pressure vessels and tanks (insulated and un-insulated ), such as but not limited to, House Accumulator HAC 1, Receiver R-1, Master Oil Separator MOS-2, Intercooler IC-1, in the Main building on or about May 2005. Section 6.4.4 of the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) Bulletin 110, 3/93 requires testing at least every five years and the results of vessel testing conducted by a contract testing company in 2005 established next testing to be conducted in five years.
Company was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 1910.119 (j)(4)(iii), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 3116154069 Citation Number 1, Item Number 22B and was affirmed as a final order on 09/12/08, with respect to a workplace located in Fairport, NY.
Citation 2 Item 2 b
Type ofViolation: Repeat; $38500.00
29 CFR 191O.ll9G)(4)(iv): The employer did not document each inspection and test that had been performed on process equipment. The documentation did not identify the date of the inspection or test, the name of the person who performed the inspection or test, the serial number or other identifier of the equipment on which the inspection or test was performed, a description of the inspection or test performed, and the results of the inspection or test.
a) On or about 2/24/13 throughout the facility; visual inspections of the Main Plant and Building 11 ammonia piping (insulated and uninsulated), performed since May 2008, were not documented.
Company was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 1910.119 (j)( 4)(iv), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 312235276, Citation Number 1, Item Number 4b and was affirmed as a final order on 12/08/11, with respect to a workplace located in Aston, PA.
Citation 2 Item 3
ype of Violation: Repeat; $27500.00
29 CFR 1910.147 (c)(7)(i)(A): Authorized employee(s) did not receive training in the methods and means necessary for energy isolation;
a) On or about 2/26/13 in the #7 Screw Conveyor area; employees who performed maintenance tasks only allowable to authorized employees, such as but not limited to, assisting with the installation of a new horizontal and vertical screw conveyor, did not receive the necessary training for the application of Lockout/tagout (LOTO) on the energy isolation devices.
Company was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safely and health standard or its equivalent standard 29CFR 1910.147 (c)(7)(i)(A), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 312386097, Citation Number 1, Item Number 3 and was affirmed as a final order on 12/11/08, with respect to a workplace located in Lubbock, TX.
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