Inspections of the leading supplier of fast food and supermarket chicken processing facilities have resulted in $154,000 in penalties for deficiencies in ammonia refrigeration system. The leading supplier of fast food and supermarket chicken has racked up more than $1.87 million in fines from OSHA this year for exposing workers to multiple safety and health violations. OSHA cited the company for five repeated and three serious violations. OSHA cited the business in 2011 for many of the same violations. Here is a breakdown of the citations:
Citation 1 Item 1
Type of Violation: Serious; $5,500
29 CFR 1910.119(c)(1): Employers had not developed a written plan of action regarding the implementation of the employee participation required by this paragraph:
On or about June 3, 2015, the employer has not developed a written process safety plan for the ammonia refrigeration system on site, where it needs to include such things as, but not limited to employee participation and input into the program.
Citation 1 Item 2
Type of Violation: Serious; $5,500
29 CFR 1910.119(e)(1): The employer did not perform an initial process hazard analysis (hazard evaluation) on processes covered by 29 CFR 1910.119:
On or about June 3, 2015, the employer did not perform an initial process hazard analysis for the ammonia refrigeration system on site.
Citation 1 Item 3
Type of Violation: Serious; $5,500
29 CFR 1910.119(n): The employer had not established and implemented an emergency action plan for the entire plant in accordance with the provisions of 29 CFR 1910.38. In addition, the emergency action plan shall include procedures for handling small releases:
On or about June 3, 2015 the employer has not established and implemented an emergency action plan for the entire facility as per 1910.38 due to presence of the ammonia refrigeration system on site.
Citation 2 Item 1
Type of Violation: Repeat; $27,500
29 CFR 1910.119(d): In accordance with the schedule set forth in paragraph (e)(1) of this section, the employer has not completed a compilation of written process safety information before conducting any process hazard analysis required by the standard. The compilation of written process safety information is to enable the employer and the employees involved in operating the process to identify and understand the hazards posed by those processes involving highly hazardous chemicals. This process safety information shall include information pertaining to the hazards of the highly hazardous chemicals used or produced by the process, information pertaining to the technology of the process, and information pertaining to the equipment in the process:
On or about June 3, 2015, the employer has not completed a compilation of written process safety information to include information pertaining to the hazards associated with the ammonia in the ammonia refrigeration system, information pertaining to the technology of the process and equipment in the process.
Business was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 1910.119(d)(2)(i)(A) and 29 CFR 1910.119(d)(2)(i)(C), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 77245, citation number 1, item number 1(a) and item number 1(b) and was affirmed as a final order on May 16, 2013, with respect to a workplace located in Ohio.
Citation 2 Item 2
Type of Violation: Repeat; $27,500
29 CFR 1910.119(f)(1): The employer shall develop and implement written operating procedures that provide clear instructions for safely conducting activities involved in each covered process consistent with the process safety information and shall address at least the following elements:
(i) steps for each operating phase;
(ii) operation limits;
(iii) safety and health considerations;
(iv) safety systems and their functions:
On or about June 3, 2015, the employer has not developed and completed the required written operating procedures covering elements (i) through (iv) of this paragraph for the ammonia refrigeration system.
Business was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 1910.119(f)(1)(i)(B) and 29 CFR 1910.119(f)(1)(iv), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 77245, citation number 1, item number 3(a) and citation number 1, item number 8 and was affirmed as a final order on May 16, 2013, with respect to a workplace located in Ohio.
Citation 2 Item 3
Type of Violation: Repeat; $27,500
29 CFR 1910.119(g)(1)(i): Each employee presently involved in operating a process, and each employee before being involved in operating a newly assigned process, had not been trained in an overview of the process and in the operating procedures as specified in paragraph (f) of this section. The training shall include emphasis on the specific safety and health hazards, emergency operations including shutdown, and safe work practices applicable to the employee’s job tasks:
On or about June 3, 2015, the employer did not train employees in the operating procedures as specified in paragraph (f) of 29 CFR 1910.119 for the ammonia refrigeration system.
Business was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 191O.119(g)(2), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 77245, citation number 1, item number 10 and was affirmed as a final order on May 16, 2013, with respect to a workplace located in Ohio.
Citation 2 Item 4
Type of Violation: Repeat; $27,500
29 CFR 1910.119(j)(2): The employer had not established and implemented written procedures to maintain the on-going integrity of process equipment:
On or about June 3, 2015 the employer has not established and implemented the written procedures, as specified in this section for the ongoing integrity of the process equipment for the ammonia refrigeration system.
Business was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 1910.1190)(2), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 77245, citation number 1, item number 11 and was affirmed as a final order on May 16, 2013, with respect to a workplace located in Ohio.
Citation 2 Item 5
Type of Violation: Repeat; $27,500
29 CFR 1910.119(l)(1): The employer had not established and implemented written procedures to manage changes (except for “replacements in kind”) to process chemicals, technology, equipment, and procedures; and, changes to facilities that affect a covered process:
On or about June 3, 2015 the employer did not establish and implement the required written procedures to manage changes to the process chemicals, technology, equipment and procedures: and changes to facilities that affect a covered process.
Business was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR 1910.119(l)(1), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 77245, citation number 1, item number 13 and was affirmed as a final order on May 16, 2013, with respect to a workplace located in Ohio.
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