OSHA Inspection: RIDLEY USA INC.

Issued

2019-02-14 00:00:00

Abate by

2019-04-03 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $8051.00 · Current $6000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(c): (c) Access and egress.  The employer did not provide, and ensure each employee uses, a safe means of access and egress to and from walking-working surfaces.    a) Ridley USA Inc. Located at 546 Willow Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding December 3, 2018, the employer did not ensure that a safe means of access and egress to and from walking-working surfaces was provided.  The exit used for emergency egress from the high side on the east end between grain bins was a doorway that opened to a drop of approximately 50 feet. Employees work in the area to perform grain bin level measurements and cleaning. The following condition exposed employees to falls from height.

Issued

2019-02-14 00:00:00

Abate by

2019-04-03 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.28(b)(9)(i)(A): (A) Existing fixed ladders.  Each fixed ladder installed before November 19, 2018 was not equipped with a personal fall arrest system, ladder safety system, cage, or well:    a) Ridley USA Inc. Located at 546 Willow Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding December 3, 2018, the employer did not ensure that each fixed ladder installed before November 19, 2018 was equipped with a personal fall arrest system, ladder safety system, cage, or well.  The exit used for emergency egress from the high side on the east end between grain bins was a fixed ladder attached to the east end of the bins.  The rungs of the ladder were mounted directly to the bin without a personal fall arrest system, ladder safety system, cage, or well in place.  The ladder rungs started at approximately 50 feet above the ground level.  The following condition exposed employees to falls from height.

Issued

2019-02-14 00:00:00

Abate by

2019-04-03 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $6440.00 · Current $5000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1)(i): The employer did not ensure that each employee on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge that was 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level was protected from falling by one or more of the following:  Guardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems:    a) Ridley USA Inc. Located at 546 Willow Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding December 3, 2018, the employer did not ensure that each employee on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge that was 4 feet or more above a lower level was protected from falling by a guardrail system, safety net system, or personal fall arrest system.  Employees use platforms in the basement, in the back area of the facility around the mixers to access the space above the mixers and screeners for cleaning and maintenance.  The platforms range from 7-11 feet above ground level and were unprotected on all sides. The following condition exposed employees to falls from height.    b) a) Ridley USA Inc. Located at 546 Willow Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding December 3, 2018, the employer did not ensure that each employee on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge that was 4 feet or more above a lower level was protected from falling by a guardrail system, safety net system, or personal fall arrest system.  Operators and maintenance employees walked across a section of a roof with a slight slope to get to a fixed ladder used to access the upper conveyor area.  The roof had a partial parapet at the south section of the roof and was unprotected for approximately 10 feet on the west section.  This condition exposed employees to falls hazards of approximately 20 feet from the roof to the ground.

Issued

2019-02-14 00:00:00

Abate by

2019-04-03 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $6440.00 · Current $5000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(d)(9): Under the permit-required confined space program required by 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4), the employer did not develop and implement procedures for summoning rescue and emergency services, for rescuing entrants from permit spaces to rescue:    a) Ridley USA Inc. Located at 546 Willow Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding December 3, 2018, the employer did not develop and implement procedures for summoning rescue and emergency services, for rescuing entrants from permit spaces to rescue.  Employees are required to enter confined spaces to perform maintenance and other tasks throughout the facility.  The confined space program provided by the employer was general and did not list specific procedures for rescue when entering confined spaces within the facility.  The following condition exposes employees to caught-in and potential atmospheric hazards.

Issued

2019-02-14 00:00:00

Abate by

2019-04-03 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.146(g)(1): The employer did not provide training so that all employees whose work was regulated by 29 CFR 1910.146 (permit required confined spaces) acquired the understanding, knowledge, and skills necessary for the safe performance of the duties assigned under 29 CFR 1910.146:  a) Ridley USA Inc. Located at 546 Willow Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding December 3, 2018, the employer did not provide training so that all employees whose work was regulated by 29 CFR 1910.146 (permit required confined spaces) acquired the understanding, knowledge, and skills necessary for the safe performance of the duties assigned under 29 CFR 1910.146.  The employer did not adequately train employees on emergency rescue in that the rescue procedures were not sufficiently detailed to enable the employees to perform non-entry rescue.  This condition exposes employees to caught-in and potential atmospheric hazards.

Issued

2019-02-14 00:00:00

Abate by

2019-03-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $8051.00 · Current $6000.00 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:    a) Ridley USA Inc. Located at 546 Willow Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding December 3, 2018, the employer did not ensure that one or more methods of machine guarding was provided to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards created by a screw conveyor blade.  Employees used a sliding door to regulate flow of grain products through a grate and into a screw conveyor.  The grate openings were large enough to allow the workers to fit their fingers through and contact the moving products and blades.  Additionally, the grate openings were not secured, which led to regular displacement while covered in grain and other products, leaving the blades fully exposed but not visible.  As a result of a grate becoming displaced while covered with a cold beans product, an operator was not able to see the uncovered conveyor blade, and his boot became entangled in the blade when he stepped onto the pile of beans in the area where the grate was normally located.  This condition exposed employees to amputation hazards.

Issued

2019-02-14 00:00:00

Abate by

2019-03-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(d)(1): Pulley(s) with part(s) seven feet or less from the floor or work platform were not guarded in accordance with the requirements specified in 29 CFR 1910.219(m) and (o):  a) Ridley USA Inc. Located at 546 Willow Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding December 3, 2018, the employer did not ensure that the pulley connected to the gearbox powering a screw conveyor system was adequately guarded. Employees use a sliding door to regulate flow of grain products through a grate and into a screw conveyor.   The screw conveyor system is powered by a 10hp motor, belt and pulleys leading to the gearbox that transfers power to the screw conveyor.  The belt/pulley for the gearbox was exposed on the west end which is along the walking path of the operator and other employees working in the area. This condition exposed employees to caught-in hazards.

Issued

2019-02-14 00:00:00

Abate by

2019-03-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(e)(1)(i): Horizontal belts which had both runs 42 inches or less from the floor level were not fully enclosed by guards conforming to requirements specified in 29 CFR 1910.219(m) and (o):  a) Ridley USA Inc. Located at 546 Willow Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding December 3, 2018, the employer did not ensure that the horizontal belt connected to the gearbox pulley powering a screw conveyor system was adequately guarded. Employees use a sliding door to regulate flow of grain products through a grate and into a screw conveyor.   The screw conveyor system was powered by a 10hp motor, belt and pulleys leading to the gearbox that transferred power to the screw conveyor.  The belt/pulley for the gearbox was exposed on the west end, which is along the walking path of the operator and other employees working in the area.  This condition exposed employees to caught-in hazards.

Issued

2019-02-14 00:00:00

Abate by

2019-03-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $8051.00 · Current $6000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.272(j)(1): The employer did not develop and implement a written housekeeping program that established the frequency and the method(s) determined best to reduce accumulations of fugitive grain dust on ledges, floors, equipment, and other exposed surfaces.    a) Ridley USA Inc. Located at 546 Willow Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding December 3, 2018, the employer did not develop and implement a written housekeeping program that established the frequency and the methods determined best to reduce accumulations of fugitive grain dust on ledges, floors, equipment, and other exposed surfaces. The employer has employees handling and moving grain between the company's various bins without an adequate housekeeping program to keep the facility as clean as possible to prevent the accumulation of fugitive grain dust.  This condition exposed employees to fire and burn hazards.

Issued

2019-02-14 00:00:00

Abate by

2019-03-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.272(j)(2)(ii): The employer did not immediately remove any fugitive grain dust accumulations whenever the exceeded 1/8 inch (.32cm) at priority housekeeping areas, pursuant to the housekeeping program for grain elevators:  a) Ridley USA Inc. Located at 546 Willow Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding December 3, 2018, the employer did not immediately remove any fugitive grain dust accumulations whenever the amount exceeded 1/8 inch at priority housekeeping areas, pursuant to the housekeeping program for grain elevators. The employer has employees handling and moving grain between the company's various bins. Several areas throughout the facility had dust accumulations which ranged from 1/2 to 1 inch on plumbing and ledges.  The following condition exposes employees to fire and burn hazards.

Issued

2019-02-14 00:00:00

Abate by

2019-04-03 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $8051.00 · Current $7000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.307(c): Equipment, wiring methods, and installations of equipment in hazardous (classified) locations were not intrinsically safe, approved for the hazardous (classified) location, or safe for the hazardous (classified) location:    a) Ridley USA Inc. Located at 546 Willow Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding December 3, 2018, the employer did not ensure that equipment, wiring methods, and installations of equipment in hazardous (classified) locations were not intrinsically safe, approved for the hazardous (classified) location, or safe for the hazardous (classified) location.  Equipment which includes, but is not limited to, lighting, wiring, motors and electrical shut-offs in areas where fugitive grain dust accumulated were not approved for use in hazardous locations.  Samples taken from dust accumulations in the mill basement and in the crib house were classified as Class II combustible dust.  The electrical installations mentioned were in the immediate proximity of the dust samples taken. This condition exposed employees to fire and burn hazards.

Issued

2019-02-14 00:00:00

Abate by

2019-04-03 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.37(b)(2): Each exit was not clearly visible and marked by a sign reading "Exit":  a) Ridley USA Inc. Located at 546 Willow Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524: On and preceding December 3, 2018, the employer did not ensure that the emergency exit for the high side was clearly visible and marked by a sign reading "Exit".  The exit used for emergency egress from the high side on the east end between grain bins was a doorway that opened to a drop of approximately 50 feet. The area leading to and around the door was very dark and the door was locked from the inside which would require an employee to unlatch the lock in order to exit. Employees worked in the area to perform grain bin level measurements and cleaning. The following condition exposed employees to fire hazards.