OSHA conducted a sweeping inspection of a company that employs about 300 workers at an array of businesses, including a dairy and creamery, farm, concrete plant, auto repair, welding shop, restaurants and lodging, a telecommunications company, graphic design firm and a convenience store. This company has had three (3) fatalities since 2012 within their businesses and OSHA has conducted seven (7) inspections since 2012. The company is now the newest member of OSHA’s SVEP club! This posting is ONLY referencing the citations associated with the PRCS and LOTO standards. Here is a break down of the citations:
The alleged violations below have been grouped because they involve similar or related hazards that may increase the potential for injury or illness.
Citation 1 Item 2
Type of Violation: Serious; $7,000
29 CFR 1910.146(c)(2): The employer did not inform exposed employees, by posting danger signs or by any other equally effective means, of the existence and location of and the danger posed by the permit spaces:
At the time of the inspection, the employer had not identified confined spaces in the Sharpe Land & Cattle Concrete plant. The main material hopper on the batch plant and the multiple concrete delivery trucks were not identified as confined spaces.
NOTE: A sign reading DANGER-PERMIT-REQUIRED CONFINED SPACE, DO NOT ENTER or using other similar language would satisfy the requirement for a sign.
Citation 1 Item 3a
Type of Violation: Serious; $7,000
29 CFR 1910.146(d)(2): Under the permit-required confined space program required by 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4), the employer did not identify and evaluate the hazards of permit spaces before employees entered:
At the time of the inspection, the employer had not identified and evaluated the hazards of the concrete mixer permit required confined space prior to entry to include, but not limited to, drum rotation and falling materials. An employee entered the concrete mixer at the batch plant to jackhammer solidified concrete from the sides of the mixer.
Citation 1 Item 3b
Type of Violation: Serious; Grouped
29 CFR 1910.146(d)(3): Under the permit-required confined space program required by 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4), the employer did not develop and implement the means, procedures, and practices necessary for safe permit space entry operations:
At the time of the inspection, an employee entered and conducted work inside a concrete truck mixer at the batch plant prior to the development and implementation of safe work practices.
Citation 1 Item 4a
Type of Violation: Serious; $7,000
29 CFR 1910.146(d)(4)(viii): Under the permit-required confined space program required by 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4), the employer did not ensure that employees properly used rescue and emergency equipment needed to comply with 29 CFR 1910.146(d)(9):
At the time of the inspection, it was determined that employees entered permit-required confined space concrete truck mixers at the batch plant without emergency rescue equipment.
Citation 1 Item 4b
Type of Violation: Serious; Grouped
29 CFR 1910.146(d)(9): The employer did not develop and implement procedures for summoning rescue and emergency services, for rescuing entrants from permit spaces, for providing necessary emergency services to rescued employees, and/or for preventing unauthorized entry.
At the time of the inspection, the employer had not implemented rescue and emergency procedures for employees who accessed permit-required confined spaces such as the concrete mixer drums.
Citation 1 Item 5
Type of Violation: Serious; $7,000
29 CFR 1910.146(d)(6): Under the permit-required confined space program required by 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4), the employer did not provide at least one attendant outside the permit space into which entry was authorized for the duration of entry operations:
At the time of the inspection, it was determined that entry had been made into permit-required confined spaces without an attendant present. On 8-24-15 an employee entered a concrete truck mixer drum at the batch plant to remove concrete with a jackhammer.
Citation 1 Item 6
Type of Violation: Serious; $7,000
29 CFR 1910.146(h)(1): The employer did not ensure that all authorized entrants knew the hazards that could be faced during entry, including information on the mode, sign or symptoms, and consequences of the exposure:
At the time of the inspection, it was determined that employees that entered the permit-required confined space concrete truck mixer drums had not been trained on the hazards of rotation of the drum, requirement to have an attendant, and the need to wear retrieval harness.
Citation 1 Item 7
Type of Violation: Serious; $7,000
29 CFR 1910.146(j)( 1): The employer did not ensure that each entry supervisor knew the hazards that could be faced during entry, including information on the mode, signs or symptoms, and consequences of the exposure:
At the time of the inspection, the entry supervisor for the employee entering the permit-required concrete truck mixer drum was not made aware of the hazards including, but not limited to, struck-by hazard created by not securing the drum from rotating and falling debris.
Citation 1 Item 9
Type of Violation: Serious; $7,000
29 CPR 1910.169(b)(3)(iv): Safety valve(s) on compressed air receiver(s) were not tested at frequently regular intervals to determine if they were in good operating condition:
At the time of the inspection, the following air receivers were in service and had not had the safety relief valves tested;
- In the Creamery, the Quincy compressor and Manchester receiver #1232720.
- In the Concrete plant, the 120 gallon air receiver and second air tank.
- In the Land & Cattle Auto Shop, the air compressor receiver.
- In the Cleansing Waters Laundry, the air compressor receiver.
Citation 2 Item 1
Type of Violation: Repeat; $70,000
29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(i): Procedures were not developed, documented and utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees were engaged in activities covered by this section;
At the time of the inspection, the following instances of employee exposure to hazardous energy were found;
- Heartland Creamery: the employer did not develop control procedures regarding the maintenance and repair of the creamery boiler. Employees were exposed to multiple energy sources, to include but not limited to, electrical, thermal, and natural gas when the maintained and repaired the boiler.
- One employee in the Sharpe Land & Cattle Concrete plant was exposed to hazardous energy such as rotating parts, caught in and struck by hazards when working inside concrete mixer trucks.
The business was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 1910.147(c)(4)(ii), which was contained in OSHA inspection number #955729, citation number 1, item number 2a and was affirmed as a final order on 2/15/2014, with respect to a workplace located in MO.
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