OSHA Inspection: POLYMER CONCENTRATES, INC

Issued

2013-03-29 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(c)(1):     Open-sided floors and/or platforms four feet or more above adjacent floor or ground level were not guarded with standard railings (or equivalent) and toeboards:    Blending deck, Polymer Concentrates, 179 Woodlawn Street, Clinton, Massachusetts: The guardrail on the blending deck had been removed for construction and not replaced at the completion of work exposing employees to falls of approximately 67 inches (5 feet 7 inches) to the next lower level.

Issued

2013-03-29 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-10 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.110(f)(4)(i):     The employer stored LP-Gas in a quantitiy exceeding 300 pounds (approximately 2550 cubic feet in vapor form) inside of a building:    Polymer Concentrates, truck parking area, 179 Woodlawn Street, Clinton, Massachusetts:  The employer stored approximately 11, 32 pound LP gas cylinders totaling approximately 352 pound of LP gas, inside the building where the box truck is parked overnight.

Issued

2013-03-29 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-05 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.253(b)(4)(i):     Oxygen cylinders were stored near highly combustible material, especially oil and grease; or near reserve stocks of carbide and acetylene or other fuel-gas cylinders, or near other substance likely to cause or accelerate fire;    Production floor, Polymer Concentrates, 179 Woodlawn Street, Clinton, MA:  The employer stored 3 bottle of oxyen within 6 feet of the Oxy-Acetylene torch used to melt plastic off the equipment.

Issued

2013-03-29 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-05-01 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2800.00 · Current $1400.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(1):     The employer did not establish a program consisting of an energy control procedure, employee training and periodic inspections to ensure that before any employee performed any servicing or maintenance on a machine or equipment where the unexpected energizing, startup or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, the machine or equipment shall be isolated from the energy source and rendered inoperative:    Polymer Concentrates, 179 Woodlawn Street, Clinton, Massachusetts:  The employer did not have an energy control procedure that included individual lockout procedures for each piece of machinery, employee training, methods to verify deenergization to include voltage testing, or periodic inspections to ensure employees were protected from the dangers of unexpected energization of equipment, startup, or release of stored energy.

Issued

2013-03-29 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-05-01 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(i):     The employer did not provide adequate training to ensure that the purpose and function of the energy control program was understood by employees:    Polymer Concentrates, 179 Woodlawn Street, Clinton, Massachusetts;  The employer did not provide adequate training on the energy control program to authorized and affected employees sufficient to ensure the employees understood the purpose and function of the program.

Issued

2013-03-29 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-05-15 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(1)(i):     The employer did not ensure that each powered industrial truck operator is competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely, as demonstrated by the successful completion of the training and evaluation specified in this paragraph (l):    Production floor/Shipping and Receiving, Polymer Concentrates, 179 Woodlawn Street, Clinton, Massachusetts:  Employees were not trained prior to using the powered industrial truck nor every three years to ensure competent operation of the trucks.

Issued

2013-03-29 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-10 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7):     Industrial trucks were not examined before being placed in service:    Production area, Polymer Concentrates, 179 Woodlawn Street, Clinton, Massachusetts:  Employees were operating powered industrial trucks in the facility without performing daily checks prior to use.

Issued

2013-03-29 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1):     One or more methods of machine guarding was not 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:    Extruder screws - 40, 50, and 27 machines, Polymer Concentrates, 179 Woodlawn Street, Clinton, Massachusetts:  The guards over the extruder screws on the 40, 50, and 27 machines had been removed for cleaning and not replaced prior to the machine being put back in use.

Issued

2013-03-29 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.215(a)(4):     Work rest(s) on grinding machinery were not adjusted closely to the wheel with a maximum opening of one eighth inch:      Polymer Concentrates, 179 Woodlawn Street, Clinton, Massachusetts:  Bench grinders in the facility did not have the work rests adjusted to a maximum of 1/8 inch.    instance 1:  Grinding machine in maintenance shop work rest adjusted to approximately 1/2 inch, four times the allowable distance.    instance 2:  The grinding machine in the main work space had the work rest pulled completely away from the wheel.

Issued

2013-03-29 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-08 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.215(b)(9):     The distance between the abrasive wheel periphery(s) and the adjustable tongue or the end of the safety guard peripheral member at the top exceeded one fourth inch:    Polymer Concentrates, 179 Woodlawn Street, Clinton, Massachusetts, 01510:  The tongue guards on the grinding machines were not adjusted properly, exceeding on quarter inch.

Issued

2013-03-29 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1200.00 · Current $600.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.303(g)(1):     Sufficient access and working space was not provided and maintained about all electric equipment (operating at 600 volts, nominal, or less to ground) to permit ready and safe operation and maintenance of such equipment:    Panels by machine 7 and Emergency Exit, Polymer Concentrates, 179 Woodlawn Street, Clinton, Massachusetts: Pallets of plastic beads were placed in front of two wall hung distribution panels preventing access to them.

Issued

2013-03-29 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-10 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2800.00 · Current $1400.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8870

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(b)(1)(ii):     Unused openings in boxes, cabinets, or fittings were not effectively closed:    Workroom floor, Polymer Concentrates, 179 Woodlawn Street, Clinton, Massachusetts: Electrical boxes throught the facility including a 480 volt box on the machine closest to the lab, were missing knockouts, allowing access to the electrical conductors inside the cabinet.

Issued

2013-03-29 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-10 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 8870

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(b)(2)(i):     Pull boxes, junction boxes, and fittings were not provided with covers approved for the purpose:    Facility wide, Polymer Concentrates, 179 Woodlawn Street, Clinton, MA 01510: Junction boxes throughout the facility for lighting and machines were missing covers exposing employees to energized conductors of up to 480 volts.

Issued

2013-03-29 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-05-01 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 8870

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(g)(2)(iii):     Flexible cords and cables were not connected to devices and fittings so that strain relief was provided that would prevent pull from being directly transmitted to joints or terminal screws:    Production area, Polymer Concentrates, 179 Woodlawn Street, Clinton, Massachusetts:  Flexible cords were run through the facility and attached with rigid wire ties and drops did not have strain reliefs to prevent wires from being pulled from terminal screws.

Issued

2013-03-29 00:00:00

Abate by

2013-04-10 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(k)(6):     The employer did not provide the basic advisory information on respirators, as presented in Appendix D of 29 CFR 1910.134, in written or oral format to employees who wear respirators when such use was not required by the employer:    Production floor, Polymer Concentrates, 179 Woodlawn Street, Clinton, Massachusetts:  The employer did not provide Appendix D information to employees voluntarily wearing respirators and filtering face pieces for personal comfort.