OSHA Inspection: LAND O' LAKES, INC.

Issued

2024-05-10 00:00:00

Abate by

2024-06-10 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $6464.00 · Current $3878.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.28(b)(1)(i): 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1)(i):  Except as provided elsewhere in this section 29 CFR 1910.28, the employer did not ensure that each employee on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge that is 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level is protected from falling by one or more of the systems described in 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1)(i):   On or about February 2, 2024, at the establishment located at 306 Park Street, Spencer, Wisconsin; in the Drying Department, an employee working from the Sifter platform above the Bagger was not protected from falling by a guardrail or a travel restraint system, exposing an employee to fall hazards. The height of the platform was approximately five feet, three inches above a lower level.

Issued

2024-05-10 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $10775.00 · Current $6465.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(4)(ii):The procedures shall clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, and techniques to be utilized for the control of hazardous energy, and the means to enforce compliance including, but not limited to: (A) A specific statement of the intended use of the procedure; (B) Specific procedural steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy; (C) Specific procedural steps for the placement, removal and transfer of lockout devices or tagout devices and the responsibility for them; and (D) Specific requirements for testing a machine or equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of lockout devices, tagout devices, and other energy control measures.  At the establishment located at 306 Park Street, Spencer, Wisconsin; in the Slice Department, the employer did not ensure that the equipment-specific energy control procedures clearly and specifically outlined the rules and techniques necessary to control hazardous energy for employees who perform servicing and/or maintenance activities, such as but not limited to changeover, exposing employees to struck by hazards in the following instances:  a) The Wrapper 2 (ID#: UN#310-21 EQ#759964) equipment-specific energy control procedure did not identify all sources of potentially hazardous energy, such as but not limited to gravity.   b) The Wrapper 3 (ID: UN#310-22 EQ#759965) equipment-specific energy control procedure did not identify all sources of potentially hazardous energy, such as but not limited to gravity.

Issued

2024-05-10 00:00:00

Abate by

2024-09-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $16131.00 · Current $11292.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(d): The established procedure for the application of energy control (the lockout or tagout procedures) did not cover the actions listed in and was not done in sequence as required by 29 CFR 1910.147(d)(1)-(6).   a) On or about February 2, 2024, at the establishment located at 306 Park Street, Spencer, Wisconsin; in the Slice Department, an employee was exposed to machine hazards associated with moving parts when they engaged in sanitation activities on the Stuffer Box (ID#: UN#310-04 EQ#759943). The employer did not ensure that an employee had implemented energy control application steps or equivalent protective measures prior to allowing them to perform sanitation.  The machine was not deenergized, such as but not limited to electrical, prior to the employee engaging in the servicing / maintenance activity.  b) On or about February 3, 2024, at the establishment located at 306 Park Street, Spencer, Wisconsin; in the Loaf Department, one employee was exposed to machine hazards associated with moving parts when they engaged in sanitation activities on the Barrel Dump Conveyor. The employer did not ensure that an employee had implemented energy control application steps or equivalent protective measures prior to allowing them to perform sanitation. The machine was not lockout out, such as but not limited to electrical, prior to the employee engaging in the servicing / maintenance activity.  c) On or about February 3, 2024, at the establishment located at 306 Park Street, Spencer, Wisconsin; in the Slice Department, an employee was exposed to machine associated with moving parts when they engaged in changeover activities on the Wrapper 2 (ID#: UN#310-21 EQ#759964). The employer did not ensure that an employee had implemented energy control application steps or equivalent protective measures prior to allowing them to perform changeover.  The machine was not deenergized, such as but not limited to electrical, gravity, and pneumatic, prior to the employee engaging in the servicing / maintenance activity.  d) On or about February 3, 2024, at the establishment located at 306 Park Street, Spencer, Wisconsin; in the Custom Department, two employees were exposed to machine hazards associated with moving parts when they engaged in sanitation activities on the Cook Hopper. The employer did not ensure that the two employees had implemented energy control application steps or equivalent protective measures prior to allowing them to perform sanitation. The machine was not deenergized, such as but not limited to electrical, prior to the employee engaging in the servicing / maintenance activity.  As a result, the remaining applicable energy control elements, involving machine isolation [1910.147(d)(3)], lockout/tagout device application [1910.147(d)(4)], dissipation of residual energy [1910(d)(5)(i)], and verification of isolation [1910.147(d)(6)] were not implemented to protect employees from machine hazards.

Issued

2024-05-10 00:00:00

Abate by

2024-09-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(f)(1): Testing or positioning of machines, equipment or components thereof. In situations in which lockout or tagout devices must be temporarily removed from the energy isolating device and the machine or equipment energized to test or position the machine, equipment or component thereof, the following sequence of actions shall be followed: (i) Clear the machine or equipment of tools and materials in accordance with paragraph (e)(1) of this section; (ii) Remove employees from the machine or equipment area in accordance with paragraph (e)(2) of this section; (iii) Remove the lockout or tagout devices as specified in paragraph (e)(3) of this section; (iv) Energize and proceed with testing or positioning; (v) Deenergize all systems and reapply energy control measures in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section to continue the servicing and/or maintenance.  a) On or about November 30, 2023, at the establishment located at 306 Park Street, Spencer, Wisconsin; in the Slice Department, the employer did not ensure that employees performing testing or positioning of the Stuffer Box (ID#: UN#310-04 EQ#759943) were safely positioned, exposing employees to caught-in hazards. While the Stuffer Box (ID#: UN#310-04 EQ#759943) was undergoing testing or positioning, an employee reached into the chain and sprocket, resulting in a partial finger amputation.   b) On or about January 31, 2024, at the establishment located at 306 Park Street, Spencer, Wisconsin; in the Custom Department, the employer did not ensure that an employee performing testing or positioning of the Hopper Pump (ID#: UN#222-53 EQ#759897) was safely positioned, exposing an employee to caught-in hazards.

Issued

2024-05-10 00:00:00

Abate by

2024-09-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $16131.00 · Current $4839.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.212(a)(1): One or more methods of machine guarding shall be 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. Examples of guarding methods are-barrier guards, two-hand tripping devices, electronic safety devices, etc.  At the establishment located at 306 Park Street, Spencer, Wisconsin; the employer did not provide one or more methods of machine guarding to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area in the following instances:  a) On or about and at times prior to January 30, 2024, in the Custom Department, the in-running nip point on the Cooker Incline Conveyor was not adequately guarded during operation to prevent entry into the machine, exposing employees to caught-in and entanglement hazards.  b) On or about and at times prior to January 30, 2024, in the Custom Department, the in-running nip point on the Incline Conveyor was not adequately guarded during operation to prevent entry into the machine, exposing employees to caught-in and entanglement hazards.  c) On or about and at times prior to January 30, 2024, in the Slice Department, the in-running nip point on the Incline Trim Conveyor (ID#: Un#310-103 EQ#796324) was not adequately guarded during operation to prevent entry into the machine, exposing employees to caught-in and entanglement hazards.

Issued

2024-05-10 00:00:00

Abate by

2024-09-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $4839.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.212(a)(2): Guards shall be affixed to the machine where possible and secured elsewhere if for any reason attachment to the machine is not possible. The guard shall be such that it does not offer an accident hazard in itself.  At the establishment located at 306 Park Street, Spencer, Wisconsin; in the Loaf Department, the employer did not adequately guard equipment to prevent employee access during operation, exposing employees to moving parts in the following instances:  a) The guards on the American Stuffer Box (ID#: UN#211-04 EQ#759659) were not affixed or secured to the equipment.  b) The guards on the #5 Stuffer Box (ID#: UN#212-04 EQ#759703) were not affixed or secured to the equipment.