OSHA Inspection: GRUMA CORPORATION

Issued

2022-02-04 00:00:00

Abate by

2022-03-03 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $14502.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to excessive relative humidity and radiant heat, elevated temperature working conditions, and thermal stress:  a) On or about September 10, 2021, and at times prior, the employer, Gruma Corporation d/b/a Mission Foods, did not ensure "acclimated" and "unacclimated" employees were protected from heat-stress related health hazards while engaged in flour tortilla production operations in and around Flour Processing and Pressing Lines 1, 2, and 3 due to high ambient temperatures and "very heavy" metabolic work rates. The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) measured in this indoor working area was 81.9 degrees Fahrenheit, which was above the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists' (ACGIH)Threshold Limit Value (TLV) of 77.8 degrees Fahrenheit for acclimated workers and 70.9 degrees Fahrenheit for unacclimated workers, respectively.  These conditions exposed employees to heat-related illnesses such as, but not limited to, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.

Issued

2022-02-04 00:00:00

Abate by

2022-02-14 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $8287.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.23(b)(12): The employer did not ensure that each employee used at least one hand to grasp the ladder when climbing up and down:  a) On or about August 10, 2021, and at times prior, Gruma Corporation d/b/a Mission Foods, did not ensure each employee used three (3) points of contact at all times when required to ascend a fixed ladder of approximately 10 feet while manually carrying fifty (50) pound sacks of maseca flour.   Employees were required to used the fixed ladder to access a platform mixer while carrying these sacks.

Issued

2022-02-04 00:00:00

Abate by

2022-02-14 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.23(b)(13): The employer did not ensure that employee do not carry any object or load that could cause the employee to lose balance and fall while climbing up or down the ladder:   a) On or about August 10, 2021, and at times prior, Gruma Corporation d/b/a Mission Foods, did not ensure that employees were protected from fall hazards in that employees manually carried (50) pound sacks of maseca flour up a fixed ladder of approximately 10 feet which could cause them to lose balance and fall.    Employees were required to used the fixed ladder to access a platform mixer while carrying these sacks.