Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 003 Hazard:

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1): One or more methods of machine guarding was not 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: On or about May 12, 2021, the employer failed to ensure that effective guarding was in place on the Blow Mold Press Machines, including the Sterling Press Molds #1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 11, 12, 13 and 17. Each press has varying degrees of lack of effective guarding, such as but not limited to, short light curtains, no light curtain, no bump door strip for the main front mechanical gate doors and double redundancy measures. Since the initial inspection in 2019 (inspection #1408053), the employer has only fully modified press #3, while the rest, except for press #8 and 10 which have had the safety mats removed and short light curtains installed just inside the mechanical gate doors of the presses. These measures do not prevent the employees from being able to reach or step over the light curtain field in order to access the press and dies inside. Employees are exposed to possible struck-by and/or caught in between hazards due to this. NOTE: The employer was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or it's equivalent standard which was contained in OSHA Inspection #1408053, citation 1, item 5, which was affirmed as final order on May 7, 2020, with respect to the same workplace location as detailed in this inspection.