OSHA Inspection: SUN CHEMICAL CORPORATION

Issued

2024-11-19 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $12676.00 · Current $12676.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.146(e)(1): Permit system. Before entry is authorized, the employer shall document the completion of measures required by paragraph (d)(3) of this section by preparing an entry permit.   a.) On or about July 15, 2024, in Peacock Building #1, the employer did not ensure an entry permit was used to document completion of the measures required by paragraph (d)(3) prior to entry of a permit required confined space in that employees entered the 24" x 24" door opening to clean out the Ball Mill #1 hopper.

Issued

2024-11-19 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.146(f): Entry permit. The entry permit that documents compliance with this section and authorizes entry to a permit space shall identify: (1) The permit space to be entered; (2) The purpose of the entry; (3) The date and the authorized duration of the entry permit; (4) The authorized entrants within the permit space, by name or by such other means (for example, through the use of rosters or tracking systems) as will enable the attendant to determine quickly and accurately, for the duration of the permit, which authorized entrants are inside the permit space; Note: This requirement may be met by inserting a reference on the entry permit as to the means used, such as a roster or tracking system, to keep track of the authorized entrants within the permit space. (5) The personnel, by name, currently serving as attendants; (6) The individual, by name, currently serving as entry supervisor, with a space for the signature or initials of the entry supervisor who originally authorized entry; (7) The hazards of the permit space to be entered; (8) The measures used to isolate the permit space and to eliminate or control permit space hazards before entry; Note: Those measures can include the lockout or tagging of equipment and procedures for purging, inerting, ventilating, and flushing permit spaces. (9) The acceptable entry conditions; (10) The results of initial and periodic tests performed under paragraph (d)(5) of this section, accompanied by the names or initials of the testers and by an indication of when the tests were performed; (11) The rescue and emergency services that can be summoned and the means (such as the equipment to use and the numbers to call) for summoning those services; 1910.146 (12) The communication procedures used by authorized entrants and attendants to maintain contact during the entry; (13) Equipment, such as personal protective equipment, testing equipment, communications equipment, alarm systems, and rescue equipment, to be provided for compliance with this section; (14) Any other information whose inclusion is necessary, given the circumstances of the particular confined space, in order to ensure employee safety; and (15) Any additional permits, such as for hot work, that have been issued to authorize work in the permit space.  a.) On or about July 15, 2024, in Peacock Building #1, the entry permit used by employees entering the 24" x 24" door opening to clean out the Ball Mill #1 hopper was inadequate, in that the employer did not ensure the following required elements of (f)(1) through (f)(15) were included on the entry permit dated July 15, 2024:  (f)(3): The authorized duration extended beyond the end of shift time of the employees performing the entry. (f)(4): The authorized entrant was identified on the permit as a Sun employee and not as an entrant. (f)(5): The name of the person serving as the attendant was not identified (f)(7): The hazards of Ball Mill #1 such as, but not limited to the oxygen deficient atmosphere, electrical, and mechanical hazards were not identified on the permit. (f)(8): The measures used to eliminate or control the hazards of the permit space, such as but not limited to lockout tagout were not identified on the permit or marked as NA. (f)(10): The name(s) or initial(s) of the person(s) performing the initial and periodic atmospheric monitoring measurements were not included. (f)(11): Rescue and emergency services and information for summoning those services was not included. (f)(12): The communication method used by authorized entrants and attendants to maintain contact during entry was not included.

Issued

2024-11-19 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $12676.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.146(d)(6): Provide at least one attendant outside the permit space into which entry is authorized for the duration of entry operations;  NOTE: Attendants may be assigned to monitor more than one permit space provided the duties described in paragraph (i) of this section can be effectively performed for each permit space that is monitored. Likewise, attendants may be stationed at any location outside the permit space to be monitored as long as the duties described in paragraph (i) of this section can be effectively performed for each permit space that is monitored.  a.) On or about July 15, 2024, in Peacock Building #1, the employer did not ensure an attendant was present throughout the duration of entry operations of a permit required confined space, in that an attendant was not present when employees entered the 24" x 24" door opening to clean out the Ball Mill #1 hopper.

Issued

2024-11-19 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $12676.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.146(g)(2)(i): Training. The employer shall provide training so that all employees whose work is regulated by this section acquire the understanding, knowledge, and skills necessary for the safe performance of the duties assigned under this section. Training shall be provided to each affected employee: Before the employee is first assigned duties under this section;  a.) On or about July 15, 2024, the employer did not ensure employees were adequately trained prior to entry of a permit required confined space in that employees entered the 24" x 24" door opening to clean out the Ball Mill #1 hopper and had not been trained as an authorized entrant.

Issued

2024-11-19 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $15211.00 · Current $5000.00 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, the following:  (c)(4)(ii)(A) A specific statement of the intended use of the procedure;  (c)(4)(ii)(B) Specific procedural steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy;  (c)(4)(ii)(C) Specific procedural steps for the placement, removal and transfer of lockout devices or tagout devices and the responsibility for them; and  (c)(4)(ii)(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.  a.) On or about July 15, 2024, in Peacock Building #1, the employer did not ensure the machine specific lockout procedures for Ball Mall #1 used by employees cleaning out the Ball Mill #1 hopper included the requirements list in (A) through (D) of this section in that it did not address: A specific statement for the Ball Mill #1 procedure that addresses servicing and maintenance such as cleaning out the hopper.  The specific procedural steps for the placement, removal, transfer, and responsibility for lockout devices. The controls employees would need to attempt to start or specific verifications such as checking pressure gauges or temperature to test the effectiveness of lockout devices.

Issued

2024-11-19 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $10000.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(7)(i)(A): Training and communication. The employer shall provide training to ensure that the purpose and function of the energy control program are understood by employees and that the knowledge and skills required for the safe application, usage, and removal of the energy controls are acquired by employees. The training shall include the following:   (A) Each authorized employee shall receive training in the recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and the methods and means necessary for energy isolation and control.  a.) On or about July 15, 2024, in Peacock Building #1, the employer did not ensure operators performing servicing and maintenance such as cleaning of the Ball Mill #1 hopper were trained as authorized employees on the methods and means necessary for energy isolation and control in that employees were not trained as authorized employees to lockout the hazardous energy such as but not limited to electrical, pneumatic, and mechanical energy.  b.) On or about July 15, 2024, in Peacock Building #1, the employer did not ensure maintenance employees performing servicing and maintenance on Ball Mill #1 hopper were adequately trained as authorized employees on the methods and means necessary for energy isolation and control in that maintenance employees were not trained to lockout pneumatic and mechanical energy.

Issued

2024-11-19 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(8): Energy isolation. Lockout or tagout shall be performed only by the authorized employees who are performing the servicing or maintenance.  a.) On or about July 15, 2024, in Peacock Building #1, the employer did not ensure that operators performing servicing and maintenance such as cleaning performed lockout tagout in that a maintenance employee performed locked out of the electrical only for the operator.

Issued

2024-11-19 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $15211.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(d): Application of control. The established procedures for the application of energy control (the lockout or tagout procedures) shall cover the following elements and actions and shall be done in the following sequence:  (1) Preparation for shutdown. Before an authorized or affected employee turns off a machine or equipment, the authorized employee shall have knowledge of the type and magnitude of the energy, the hazards of the energy to be controlled, and the method or means to control the energy. (2) Machine or equipment shutdown. The machine or equipment shall be turned off or shut down using the procedures established for the machine or equipment. An orderly shutdown must be utilized to avoid any additional or increased hazard(s) to employees as a result of the equipment stoppage. (3) Machine or equipment isolation. All energy isolating devices that are needed to control the energy to the machine or equipment shall be physically located and operated in such a manner as to isolate the machine or equipment from the energy source(s). (4) Lockout or tagout device application.  (i) Lockout or tagout devices shall be affixed to each energy isolating device by authorized employees.  (ii) Lockout devices, where used, shall be affixed in a manner to that will hold the energy isolating devices in a "safe" or "off" position. (5) Stored energy. (i) Following the application of lockout or tagout devices to energy isolating devices, all potentially hazardous stored or residual energy shall be relieved, disconnected, restrained, and otherwise rendered safe. (6) Verification of isolation. Prior to starting work on machines or equipment that have been locked out or tagged out, the authorized employee shall verify that isolation and de-energization of the machine or equipment have been accomplished.  a.) On or about July 15, 2024, in Peacock Building #1, the employer did not ensure (d)(1) through (d)(6) were followed by each authorized employee cleaning out the Ball Mill #1 hopper, by isolating each energy source such as electrical, exposing employees to an amputation hazard.