Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001B Hazard:

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: a. On the East Rough Slitter, on or about June 13, 2023, employees were exposed to machine hazards associated with pinch points, rotating parts, and shear points, during maintenance and servicing covered activities such as, but not limited to, inspection and troubleshooting the scrap chopper of the East Rough Slitter. The employer did not implement energy control application steps as the East Rough Slitter and its scrap chopper, was not shutdown prior to performing the inspection and troubleshooting work [per the 1910.147(d)(2) requirements]. As a result, the remaining applicable energy control elements, including machine and equipment isolation from hazardous energy sources [(d)(3)], lockout/tagout device application [(d)(4)], dissipation of residual and/or stored energy [(d)(5)(i)], and verification of isolation [(d)(6)], were not implemented to protect employees from machine servicing hazards. As a result, the chopper knives unexpectedly energized and rotated, amputating an employee's hand. b. On the East Rough Slitter, on or about June 13, 2023, and at times prior, employees were exposed to machine hazards associated with pinch points and rotating parts, during maintenance and servicing covered activities such as, but not limited to, performing setup, knive changes, and machine adjustments. The employer did not implement energy control application steps as the East Rough Slitter was not isolated from the hazardous energy sources prior to performing the servicing covered activities [per the 1910.147(d)(3) requirements]. As a result, the remaining applicable energy control elements, involving lockout/tagout device application [(d)(4)], dissipation of residual and/or stored energy [(d)(5)(i)], and verification of isolation [(d)(6)], were not implemented to protect employees from machine servicing hazards. c. On the North Line East PG, on or about March 15, 2023, employees were exposed to machine hazards associated with pinch points and shear points during activities such as, but not limited to, repairs to the actuator of the PG vertical hydraulic cylinder. The employer did not implement energy control application steps as the hazardous energy sources, including, but not limited to, gravitational energy, were not isolated prior performing the servicing work [per the 1910.147(d)(3) requirements]. As a result, the remaining applicable energy control elements, involving lockout/tagout device application [(d)(4)], dissipation of residual and/or stored energy [(d)(5)(i)], and verification of isolation [(d)(6)], were not implemented to protect employees from machine servicing hazards. As a result, the PG vertical hydraulic cylinder unexpectedly moved, pinching an employee's hand between the cylinder and the machine frame, resulting in serious injuries to the employee's hand requiring hospitalization.