OSHA Inspection: ALPHA BAKING CO., INC.

Issued

2025-10-10 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-10-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $16550.00 · Current $9900.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(f)(3)(ii)(D):  Each authorized employee did not affix a personal lockout or tagout device to the group lockout device before working on the machine or equipment:   a.  On or about April 16, 2025, located at the 2nd Floor Packaging Area, employees were involved in the servicing activity of troubleshooting, making adjustments, and the installation of guarding of the Line 11 East Bagger Flight Conveyor without affixing personal lockout/tagout devices for group lockout which exposed the employees to caught-in hazards.

Issued

2025-10-10 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-10-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $11348.00 · Current $8200.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(c)(4)(i): Unguarded projecting shaft end(s) did not present a smooth edge and end projected more than one half the diameter of the shaft which was not guarded by a nonrotating cap or safety sleeve:  a. On or about July 14, 2025, located at the 2nd Floor Packaging Area, the employer did not ensure that projecting shaft ends did not project more than one half the diameter of the shaft on the East Bettendorf Standford Bread Slicer and Bagger. The ? inch rotating shaft protruded one inch past the housing exposing the employees to caught-in hazards.   b.  On or about July 14, 2025, located at the 2nd Floor Packaging Area, the employer did not ensure that projecting shaft ends did not project more than one half the diameter of the shaft on the Center Bettendorf Standford Bread Slicer and Bagger. The ? inch rotating shaft protruded two inches past the housing exposing the employees to caught-in hazards.

Issued

2025-10-10 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-10-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(c)(4)(ii): The unused keyway(s) of projecting shaft end(s) were not filled up or covered:  a.  On or about July 14, 2025, at the 2nd Floor Packaging Area, the employer did not ensure that the unused keyway on Line 11 East Slicer's projected shaft end was filled in, thereby exposing employees to caught-in hazards.

Issued

2025-10-10 00:00:00

Abate by

2026-04-03 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $16550.00 · Current $9900.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.332(b)(1):  Employees were not trained in and familiar with the safety-related work practices required by 1910.331 through 1910.335 that pertained to their respective job assignments:  a. On or about July 14, 2025, the employer did not ensure employees who are exposed to live electrical conductors were trained in safety-related electrical work practices. Employees who accessed the electrical control panel associated with the Line 11 West Bagger machine to perform electrical verification and hit resets were exposed to electrical-related injuries in that safe work practices were not employed to prevent up to 480 VAC electrical shock, electrocution, and arc flash/blast.

Issued

2025-10-10 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-10-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $16550.00 · Current $0.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.335(a)(1)(i): Employees working in areas where there were potential electrical hazards were not using electrical protective equipment that was appropriate for the specific parts of the body to be protected and for the work to be performed:  a. On or about July 14, 2025, the employer did not ensure employees who accessed electrical control panels associated with the Line 11 West Bagger machine were provided with and used electrical protective equipment for the body, hands, head, and face. Employees who accessed the 480-volt electrical panel to test and hit resets were exposed to electrical shock and arc flash hazards.

Issued

2025-10-10 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-10-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $165514.00 · Current $99000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(i)(A):  Authorized employee(s) did not 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.  a.  The employer does not ensure that employees are trained to the authorized level prior to performing lockout/tagout covered servicing and maintenance tasks, including troubleshooting, making adjustments, positioning, and re-installing machine guarding.  This most recently occurred on April 16, 2025, on the Line 11 East Bagger Flight Conveyor when an employee was involved in the task of troubleshooting and the reinstallation of a guard without being trained as an authorized employee to perform these service and maintenance tasks. The deficiencies in the training included but not limited to, what tasks required them to perform lockout/tagout, how to properly isolate energy sources and where the energy isolating devices were located for the conveyor system. These deficiencies in the training exposed the employee to the hazards associated with being caught-in rotating parts and ingoing nip points. To abate this violation, the employer must train all employees to the authorize level prior to them performing service and maintenance on machines and equipment and take steps to ensure these employees continue to know and understand the hazards associated with the equipment and the procedures to safely control hazardous energy through lockout/tagout.   Alpha Baking Company, Inc. was previously cited for a Repeat-Serious violation of this Occupational Safety and Health Standard, 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(i)(A), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1768944, citation number 1, item number 1, and was affirmed as final order on February 25, 2025, with respect to a workplace located at 5001 W. Polk Street, Chicago, IL 60644.  Alpha Baking Co., Inc. was previously cited for a Serious violation of an equivalent Occupational Safety and Health Standard, 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(i), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1453446, citation number 1, item number 1a, and was affirmed as final order on August 14, 2020, with respect to a workplace located at 4545 West Lyndale Avenue, Chicago, IL 60639.

Issued

2025-10-10 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-10-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $165514.00 · Current $99000.00 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. The employer does not ensure employees are protected from machine hazards when performing servicing and maintenance tasks, including troubleshooting, inspecting, testing and positioning, and the reinstallation of machine components by requiring employees to control hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) prior to performing work.    This most recently occurred on or about April 16, 2025, at 5001 W. Polk Street, Chicago, IL 60644 with the Line 11 East Bagger Flight Conveyor when employees were exposed to machine hazards associated with moving parts and in-going nip points while performing these tasks on the Bagger Flight conveyor system.  The employer does not implement energy control application steps as the machine is not shut down or turned off to perform these servicing tasks [per the 1910.147(d)(2) requirements]. As a result, the remaining applicable energy control elements, involving machine isolation [(d)(3)], LOTO device application [(d)(4)], dissipation of residual energy [(d)(5)(i)], and verification of isolation [(d)(6)], are not implemented to protect employees from machine servicing hazards. To abate this violation, the employer must ensure that employees control hazardous energy through lockout/tagout (LOTO) prior to performing service and maintenance on machines and take the necessary steps to ensure employees continue to only work on machine that is and remains in a safe and controlled state.    Alpha Baking Co., Inc. was previously citated for a Repeat-Serious violation of this Occupational Safety and Health standard, 29 CFR 1910.147(d), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1768944, citation number 1, item number 2, and was affirmed as a final order on February 25, 2025, with respect to a workplace located at 5001 W. Polk Street, Chicago, IL 60644.  Alpha Baking Co., Inc. was previously cited for a Serious violation of an equivalent Occupational Safety and Health standard, 29 CFR 1910.147(d)(3), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1567823, citation number 1, item number 4, and was affirmed as a final order on May 9, 2022, with respect to a workplace located at 4300 Cty Rd CR, Manitowoc, WI 54220.  Alpha Baking Co., Inc. was previously cited for a Serious violation of this Occupational Safety and Health standard, 29 CFR 1910.147(d), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1453446, citation number 1, item number 1b, and was affirmed as a final order on August 14, 2020, with respect to a workplace located at 4545 West Lyndale Avenue, Chicago, IL 60639.

Issued

2025-10-10 00:00:00

Abate by

2025-10-30 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $165514.00 · Current $99000.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.263(c)(3):  Sprocket(s) and V-belt drive(s) of bakery machinery located within reach from platform(s) or passageway(s) or located within 8 feet 6 inches from the floor were not completely enclosed:  a. The employer does not ensure that sprockets are completely enclosed to protect employees that go under conveyors from caught-in hazards from the rotating sprockets. This most recently occurred on July 14, 2025, at the Line 11 East Slicer infeed conveyor when employees bent over and walked under the conveyor exposing the employee to rotating sprockets that were located approximately 41 inches above the floor. To abate this violation, the employer must guard all powered rotating sprockets that are within 8 feet 6 inches from the floor and take steps to ensure that the guards remain in place while employees are in the area.    Alpha Baking Co., Inc. was previously cited for a Repeat-Serious violation of this Occupational Safety and Health Standard, 29 CFR 1910.263(c)(3), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1768944, citation number 1, item number 3c, and was affirmed as a final order on February 25, 2025, with respect to workplace located at 5001 W. Polk Street, Chicago, IL 60644.  Alpha Baking Co., Inc. was previously cited for a Serious violation of this Occupational Safety and Health Standard, 29 CFR 1910.263(c)(3), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1567823, citation number 1, item number 7, and was affirmed as a final order on May 9, 2022, with respect to workplace located at 4300 Cty Rd CR Manitowoc, WI 54220.