OSHA Inspection: POLY-FLEX, INC.

Issued

2026-01-16 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $11916.00 · Current $7150.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(4)(i):Procedures shall be developed, documented and utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees are engaged in the activities covered by this section.   On or about the week of September 29, 2025, at a facility located at 311 Oak Grove Road in Kaukauna, Wisconsin; the employer did not develop, document, or utilize written procedures for the control of potentially hazardous energy such as but not limited to electrical and pneumatic when employees conducted servicing and maintenance in the form of unjamming the ST2 Hinge Cutter or when unjamming or changing drill bits on the ST5 Hinge Cutter. Employees were exposed to hazards from the cutting mechanisms in the ST2 Hinge Cutter and rotating drill bits parts and cutting mechanisms in the ST5 Hing Cutter.   Note: Exception: The employer need not document the required procedure for a particular machine or equipment, when all of the following elements exist: (1) The machine or equipment has no potential for stored or residual energy or reaccumulation of stored energy after shut down which could endanger employees; (2) the machine or equipment has a single energy source which can be readily identified and isolated; (3) the isolation and locking out of that energy source will completely deenergize and deactivate the machine or equipment; (4) the machine or equipment is isolated from that energy source and locked out during servicing or maintenance; (5) a single lockout device will achieve a locker-out condition; (6) the lockout device is under the exclusive control of the authorized employee performing the servicing or maintenance; (7) the servicing or maintenance does not create hazards for other employees; and (8) the employer, in utilizing this exception, has had no accidents involving the unexpected activation or reenergization of the machine or equipment during servicing or maintenance.

Issued

2026-01-16 00:00:00

Abate by

2026-02-17 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(7)(i)(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.  On or about the week of September 29, 2025, at a facility located at 311 Oak Grove Road in Kaukauna, Wisconsin; employees engaged in servicing and maintenance tasks on the ST2 Hinge Cutter and ST5 Hinge Cutter machines were not provided training in the methods and means necessary for pneumatic and electrical energy isolation and control.

Issued

2026-01-16 00:00:00

Abate by

2026-02-17 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

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):  On or about the week of September 29, 2025, at a facility located at 311 Oak Grove Road in Kaukauna, Wisconsin; employees were exposed to machine hazards associated with moving parts when they engaged in unjamming of the ST2 Hinge Cutter and unjamming or drill bit changes of the ST5 Hinge Cutter.  The employer did not ensure that employees implemented energy control application steps or equivalent protective measures prior to allowing them to unjam or change drill bits inside the equipment.  The machine was not deenergized prior to the employees engaging in the servicing / maintenance activity exposing employees to amputation and/or entanglement hazards.   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

2026-01-16 00:00:00

Abate by

2026-05-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $8513.00 · Current $5108.00 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.:  On October 7, 2025, at a facility located at 311 Oak Grove Road in Kaukauna, Wisconsin; the employer did not implement one or more methods of machine guarding to protect employees when:  a) Employees would either stepped into and stood in the Sterling blow molder machines (ST2, ST4 and ST5) to remove pieces of plastic. The Sterling blow molder machines were not provided with machine guarding to protect the employees from caught-between and crushing hazards posed by the machines' closing molds and appurtenances.  b) Employees walked and worked around CLN V12 CNC tables. The ST2 and ST4 work areas each had their own V12 CNC table. The CNC tables were not provided with machine guarding to protect employees from caught-between or struck-by hazards posed by the automated movements of the machines' gantry and trolley, nor from laceration hazards of each machines' cutting blades.  c) Employees retrieved workpieces from the Hartig #2 blow molder machine. The machine was not provided with machine guarding to protect employees from caught-between and crushing hazards posed by the machine's closing molds.  d) Employees trimmed workpieces on the H2 Divertor Cone Cutter at the Hartig #2 work area. The machine's bit was not provided with machine guarding to protect employees from rotating parts and laceration hazards posed by the endmill bit.

Issued

2026-01-16 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $8513.00 · Current $5108.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.242(b): Compressed air used for cleaning. Compressed air shall not be used for cleaning purposes except where reduced to less than 30 p.s.i. and then only with effective chip guarding and personal protective equipment.  On October 7, 2025, at a facility located at 311 Oak Grove Road in Kaukauna, Wisconsin; employees using compressed air to clean plastic debris off processing equipment and work stations used a compressed air gun which operated at approximately 130 p.s.i. and did not reduce the pressure to less than 30 p.s.i.

Issued

2026-01-16 00:00:00

Abate by

2026-02-17 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.243(b)(2): Hose and hose connections used for conducting compressed air to utilization equipment shall be designed for the pressure and service to which they are subjected:  On October 7, 2025, at a facility located at 311 Oak Grove Road in Kaukauna, Wisconsin; a hose connection used for conducting compressed air cleaning was not designed for the pressure and service to which they were subjected. A worm drive type clamp was used to connect a barbed fitting to a compressed air hose which operated at approximately 130 p.s.i. The worm drive clamp was not designed for use on an air hose, thereby exposing the employees to the whipping action of the hose if the clamp were to come off.