Top 10 Cited Regulations in Cement and Concrete Manufacturing.
Blog Series Don’t Wait for the Fine Outlines 10 Most Frequent Violations in Concrete Manufacturing.
Since starting this four-part series titled Don’t Wait for the Fine, OSHA has updated their list of cited standards for the precast industry. I did not save the previous list of citations, but the first four are still present in nearly the same order. I will not go over these four. Our number five dropped down ten spots to number 15 on the list. This quarter, I will review some of the remaining six on the current top ten.
Permit-required confined space is the current number five
A confined space is any space not designed for human occupancy but is large enough to be entered by at least part of a person’s body. A permit required confined space is the same, except the definition adds the risk of a hazard that is immediately dangerous to life or health. Entering an installed septic tank would be considered a permit required confined space.
Machine guarding is now the costliest area for a citation in the precast industry’s NAICS sector
Pulleys, belts, gears, and other pinch points must be guarded. Saws and grinders must have safety guards. While in a different section, grinders (1910.215) are in the same subpart of the machine guarding rules. The tool rest, tool stop, and side guard are popular items for a citation in most plants. Review your work area for opportunities to encounter moving parts, and then guard or eliminate access to these hazards.
The average precast plant is not as noisy as it used to be
Self-consolidating concrete has lowered the average noise that employees are exposed to. At 85 decibels for an 8-hour time-weighted average, an employer must implement a hearing protection plan. This plan will include hearing checks for exposed employees. Employees must use hearing protection after levels reach 90 dB over 8 hours. As an example, a diesel truck going 40 MPH at 50 ft. is 84 dB, and a car wash at 20 ft. is 89 db.
| OSHA Standard | Citations | Penalties | Description | |
| 1 | 1910.134 | 58 | $41,113 | Respiratory Protection. (1) |
| 2 | 1910.1200 | 55 | $41,859 | Hazard Communication. (2) |
| 3 | 1910.147 | 52 | $193,446 | The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout). (4) |
| 4 | 1910.178 | 35 | $78,242 | Powered industrial trucks. (3) |
| 5 | 1910.146 | 28 | $71,286 | Permit-required confined spaces |
| 6 | 1910.212 | 24 | $105,066 | (Machine Guarding) General requirements for all machines. |
| 7 | 1910.95 | 22 | $29,137 | Occupational noise exposure. |
| 8 | 1910.305 | 22 | $15,649 | Wiring methods, components, and equipment for general use. |
| 9 | 1910.303 | 20 | $48,332 | (Electrical) General requirements. |
| 10 | 1910.28 | 19 | $90,194 | Safety requirements for scaffolding. |
Table Source: https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/citedstandard.naics?p_naics=3273&p_esize=&p_state=FEFederal
Item number eight and nine falls within the same subpart
Electrical hazards are present in all plants. It is important to inspect the electrical components on a regular basis. Do not use extension cords as permanent wiring. Assure that all equipment used is grounded.
The last item on the top ten list is scaffolding
This is seldom used in a precast plant, but it is closely related to ladders. Whether using ladders or scaffolding, be sure to follow the proper rules for setup, inspection, and use. In 2017, OSHA added new rules for inspecting ladders and protecting employees from falls; falls are second only to traffic accidents in most workplace fatalities.
If you need concrete technical assistance, precast quality system certification audits, plant safety consultations, OSHA safety training, or performance testing, ConSeal can help.