OSHA Inspection: PETERSEN INDUSTRIES, INC.

Issued

2026-02-13 00:00:00

Abate by

2026-03-12 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $12768.00 · Current $6384.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(e)(1):The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace:  a) For the paint area, on or about 01/06/2025, the employer exposed employees to respiratory hazards, in that, employees were required to wear elastomeric full face, tight-fitting respirators while painting vehicles, and employees had not received a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator before the employee was required to use a respirator in the paint area.

Issued

2026-02-13 00:00:00

Abate by

2026-03-12 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $12768.00 · Current $6384.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(f)(1):The employer did not ensure that employee(s) required to use a tight-fitting facepiece respirator passed the appropriate qualitative fit test (QLFT) or quantitative fit test (QNFT):  a) For the paint area, on or about 01/06/2026, the employer exposed employees to inhalation hazards, in that, employees were required to wear full-face elastomeric, tight fitting respirators while painting vehicles, and they had not been fit tested, either qualitatively or quantitively, prior to being required to wear a respirator.

Issued

2026-02-13 00:00:00

Abate by

2026-03-12 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $14895.00 · Current $7448.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(i)(5)(iv):The employer did not ensure that the person authorized to perform the necessary sorbent bed and filter changes filled out a tag indicating by the signature and date that maintenance changes were performed:   a) For the sandblasting supplied air system and compressors, on or about 01/06/2026, the employer exposed employees to inhalation hazards, in that, tags to indicate the filters' and sorbent beds' latest change out date were not being documented with the signature of the person performing the change out. Compressor air filters were being changed by in-house maintenance employees on a weekly basis, but these filter changes were not being documented, and there was no documentation of sorbent bed filter changes.

Issued

2026-02-13 00:00:00

Abate by

2026-03-12 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $10641.00 · Current $5321.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(i)(7): Oil-lubricated compressor(s) were used to supply breathing air with only high-temperature alarm(s) and the air supply was not monitored at intervals sufficient to prevent carbon monoxide in the breath air from exceeding 10 ppm:  a) For the sandblasting building and compressor areas, on or about 12/19/2025, the employer exposed employees to potential carbon monoxide exposure from a supplied air system, in that, the carbon monoxide alarm in place at the sandblasting system was inoperable. The oil lubricated compressors had high temperatures cutouts/alarms, but no monitoring of breathing air for carbon monoxide was being done.

Issued

2026-02-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $14895.00 · Current $7448.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(6)(i)(C):Where lockout was used for energy control, the periodic inspection did not include a review, between the inspector and each authorized employee, of that employee's responsibilities under the energy control procedure being inspected:  a) For the facility at 4000 FL-60 W, Lake Wales, FL 33859, on or about 1/6/2026, the employer exposed employees to potential crushing/amputation hazards from machinery such as, but not limited to,  CnC machines and welding robots, in that, the periodic inspection of energy control procedures was  being done by a single person, and there was no review taking place between the inspector and authorized employees.

Issued

2026-02-13 00:00:00

Abate by

2026-03-12 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $8511.00 · Current $4256.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.178(a)(6):The employer did not ensure that all nameplates or markings were maintained in a legible condition:  a) For the large Hyster forklift, on or about 12/18/2025, the employer exposed employees to struck-by hazards, in that, its nameplate containing capacity/load information was dirty and illegible.  b) For the large Doosan forklift, on or about 12/18/2025, the employer exposed employees to struck-by hazards, in that, its nameplate containing capacity/load information was faded and illegible.

Issued

2026-02-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $8511.00 · Current $4256.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(g)(8):  The employer did not maintain in the workplace copies of the required safety data sheets for each hazardous chemical, and did not ensure that they were readily accessible during each work  shift to employees when they were in their work area(s):  a) For the fabrication building, on or about 1/6/2026, the employer exposed employees to potential chemical contact/dermatitis hazards from oils and other lubricants and fire hazards from compressed acetylene and oxygen cylinders, in that, the safety data sheet book was kept in a locked closet and not accessible to employees.  b) For the paint/sandblast building, on or about 12/19/2025, the employer exposed employees to potential fire, skin contact and inhalation hazards, in that, safety data sheets such as, but not limited to, the safety data sheet for Activator 57X7040A were not readily accessible to employees but was in the exclusive control of the EHS manager, and employees were not aware of how to access it on their own.

Issued

2026-02-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2128.00 · Current $1064.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1904.4(a):The employer did not record each work-related fatality, injury or illness case that resulted in the general recording criteria on the OSHA Form 300 or equivalent.    Abatement Certification and Documentation is required  a) For the Petersen Industries site, on or about 12/18/2025, the employer did not record all recordable incidents on an OSHA 300 form or equivalent, in that, On 08/11/2025, an employee fell from a ladder resulting in a days away from work incident that was not recorded.    b) For the Petersen Industries site, on or about 12/18/2025, the employer did not record all recordable incidents on an OSHA 300 form or equivalent, in that, on 10/21/2025, an employee slipped and injured their shoulder resulting in treatment beyond first aid.

Issued

2026-02-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1195.00 · Current $598.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(6)(ii):The employer did not certify that periodic inspections of the energy control procedures had been performed:  a) For the Petersen Industries site at 4000 S.R. 60 West, Lake Wales, FL 33859, on or about 01/06/2026, the employer exposed employees to potential amputation/laceration hazards, in that, none of the periodic inspections of the energy control procedures were documented/certified. Machinery present on site contained energy sources such as, but not limited to, 110/220/480VAC electrical energy, compressed air, natural gas, and moving parts.