Greer factory where man disappeared fined over $30k by SC OSHA. Here are the 12 violations

Chalmers Rogland, Herald-Journal
·7 min read
Partial remains of a Greer man have been identified in a machine in a Spartanburg County plant, according to Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger.The machine was a plastic materials shredder that is utilized for recycling. Duncan Alexander Burrell Gordon, 20, was reported missing on May 5. Clevenger confirmed Industrial Recycling and Recovery, Inc. at 3100 Green Road in Greer was the site involved in the investigation.

The Greer factory where a man disappeared on the job in early May is now being fined nearly $34,000 by South Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Administration (SC OSHA).

Industrial Recovery & Recycling, Inc. (IRR), located at 3100 Green Rd. in Greer, was cited for 12 different violations in regards to a lack of safe conditions and failing to follow proper protocol in the facility leading up to Duncan Alexander Burrell Gordon's overnight disappearance between May 4-5.

"This inspection has revealed conditions which we believe do not comply with certain safety and health rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to SC Code of Laws 41-15-210," the citation and notification of penalty states.

The violation items concern inadequate guarding/railing, warning sign postings, trainings, along with improper confined space permit violations.

Alex Burrell Gordon
Alex Burrell Gordon

The enclosed citation violations must be posted, unedited, "prominently" in the workplace at IRR at each location where a violation was discovered.

Burrell Gordon, who went by "Alex," was described by his family as a goofball who enjoyed fishing, bowling, and Call of Duty. Gordon also suffered from epilepsy, and was known to have occasional seizures that prevented him from driving.

IRR has 30 days from Oct. 27 to either formally contest through the SC Administrative Law Court (ALC) or request an informal conference in regards to reaching a settlement for the citation, the abatement dates, and the penalties.

Following his disappearance, attorney's for Alex Gordon's father, Michael Gordon, filed a worker's compensation claim. Michael Gordon was a supervisor at IRR, and the father and son had dinner together shortly before midnight May 4.

In-Depth:Greer plant where man allegedly died at work has history of SC OSHA violations, fines

SC OSHA: Employee last saw Alex Gordon May 5 at 1:30 a.m.

The Vecoplan Shredder mentioned multiple times in the documents is a VAZ 1600 M FF - Machine No. 15470010, and is located near the beginning of Line 1 in the production area at the Greer plant.

The SC OSHA Inspection Narrative states that an unnamed employee last saw Alex Gordon around 1:30 a.m. on May 5 "preparing to dump a load of material from the dump box into the shredder hopper."

Around 2:00 am, Alex Gordon could not be located.

"The Night Shift Supervisor stopped production and the employees went to look for the missing employee. [Burrell Gordon] could not be found," the narrative reads.

A missing person’s report was subsequently filed with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Department.

"The potential that Employee #1 had fallen into the Vecoplan shredder machine was considered," the narrative reads.

Both the Sheriff's Office and the Coroner's Office responded to determine if this consideration had any merit. On June 14, the DNA matter found on the conveyor belt on scene was found to match that of Alex's parents.

On July 6, the Coroner's Office stated that the matter found at the scene was consistent with human fat, skin and bone.

Advocate speaks:Greer recycling plant death: Advocate for victims of workplace incidents critical of SC OSHA

Industrial Recovery & Recycling violations, fines

⊳ Below are the 12 "serious" violation items and proposed fines assessed to IRR by SC OSHA, which in total amount to $33,975.

All fines are pending the opportunity for an abatement process. The deadlines for the violation abatement processes are also included.

  • Item 1 - $4,200

    • "Employer knew or should have known that employees, operating forklifts without wearing seatbelts, were exposed to the hazard of being crushed by the forklift in the event of a tip over. A feasible and useful method to correct this hazard, among other methods, is to enforce the use of seatbelts while operating a forklift to perform tasks such as, but not limited to, moving and loading material into an elevated shredder hopper."

    • Code Violated: SC Code Ann. Regs. 71-112(A)

    • Abatement Deadline: Nov. 8

  • Item 2 - $1,225

    • "Stair rails were inadequate (~32.5" high; did not extend from topmost step to platform; did not extend to first and second step), on the left and right sides of the stairway that led up to the Vecoplan Shredder platform, a height of up to approximately 8.75 ft, on Line 1 in Building 1 of the facility.

    • Code Violated: 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(11) pursuant to SC Code Ann. Sec. 41-15-220 and incorporated by reference pursuant to SC Ann. Regs. 71-108

    • Abatement Deadline: Nov. 14

  • Item 3 - $2,500

    • "Danger signs, or other equally effective means were not provided for permit required confined spaces such as, but not limited to, the Vecoplan Shredder."

    • Code Violated: 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(2), pursuant to SC Code Ann. Sec. 41-15-220 and incorporated by reference pursuant to SC Ann. Regs. 71-108

    • Abatement Deadline: Nov. 8

  • Item 4 - $4,200

    • "Means, procedures, and practices necessary for safe permit space entry to include, but not limited to, the isolation of the permit space and verifying acceptable entry conditions, were not implemented for employees performing work in and around the Vecoplan Shredder."

    • Code Violated: 29 CFR 1910.146(d)(3) pursuant to SC Code Ann. Sec. 41-15-220 and incorporated by reference pursuant to SC Ann. Regs. 71-108

    • Abatement Deadline: Nov. 8

  • Item 5 - $4,200

    • "Procedures for summoning rescue and emergency services and rescuing entrants from permit spaces were inadequate (no site-specific procedures; contradicting methods of rescue) for employees performing work in permit spaces such as, but not limited to, the Vecoplan Shredder."

    • Code Violated: 29 CFR 1910.146(d)(9) pursuant to SC Code Ann. Sec. 41-15-220 and incorporated by reference pursuant to SC Ann. Regs. 71-108

    • Abatement Deadline: Nov. 21

  • Item 6 - $2,500

    • "Canceled entry permits for employees performing work in permit spaces such as, but not limited to, the Vecoplan Shredder, were not retained for at least a year."

    • Code Violated: 29 CFR 1910.146(e)(6) pursuant to SC Code Ann. Sec. 41-15-220 and incorporated by reference pursuant to SC Ann. Regs. 71-108

    • Abatement Deadline: Nov. 9

  • Item 7 - $4,200

    • "Entry permit did not include contents such as, but not limited to, the permit space to be entered, acceptable entry conditions, and communication procedures between entrants and attendants, for entry into permit spaces such as, but not limited to, the Vecoplan Shredder."

    • Code Violated: 29 CFR 1910.146(f) pursuant to SC Code Ann. Sec. 41-15-220 and incorporated by reference pursuant to SC Ann. Regs. 71-108

    • Abatement Deadline: Nov. 9

  • Item 8 - $2,500

    • "Permit required confined space training was inadequate (deficient understanding, knowledge, and skills for safe performance and implementation of the program) for approximately 22 employees who worked in and around permit spaces such as, but not limited to, the Vecoplan Shredder."

    • Code Violated: 29 CFR 1910.146(g)(1) pursuant to SC Code Ann. Sec. 41-15-220 and incorporated by reference pursuant to SC Ann. Regs. 71-108

    • Abatement Deadline: Nov. 29

  • Item 9 - $2,500

    • "Permit required confined space training was not certified for approximately 22 employees who worked in and around permit spaces such as, but not limited to, the Vecoplan Shredder."

    • Code Violated: 29 CFR 1910.146(g)(4) pursuant to SC Code Ann. Sec. 41-15-220 and incorporated by reference pursuant to SC Ann. Regs. 71-108

    • Abatement Deadline: Nov. 29

  • Item 10 - $4,200

    • "Energy control procedures were not utilized for employees performing servicing and maintenance activities on equipment such as, but not limited to, the Vecoplan Shredder and associated dump box."

    • Code Violated: 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(i) pursuant to SC Code Ann. Sec. 41-15-220 and incorporated by reference pursuant to SC Ann. Regs. 71-108

    • Abatement Deadline: Nov. 8

  • Item 11 - $875

    • "Guarding was not provided for a gap (~23" x 4.5" large) in the frame of the conveyor that transported shredded material from the Vecoplan Shredder to the densifier on Line 1 in Building 1 of the facility."

    • Code Violated: 29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1) pursuant to SC Code Ann. Sec. 41-15-220 and incorporated by reference pursuant to SC Ann. Regs. 71-108

    • Abatement Deadline: Nov. 14

  • Item 12 - $875

    • "Guarding was not provided for the end of the shaft that was located approximately 80 inches (6.67 ft) from the ground and used to power the shredder blades on the Vecoplan Shredder"

    • Code Violated: 29 CFR 1910.219(c)(2)(i) pursuant to SC Code Ann. Sec. 41-15-220 and incorporated by reference pursuant to SC Ann. Regs. 71-108

    • Abatement Deadline: Nov. 14

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Greer factory where SC man disappeared fined by SC OSHA