OSHA Inspection: J.W. PETERS & SONS, INC.

Issued

Aug 8, 1986

Abate by

Aug 11, 1986

Penalty

Initial $810 · Current $98 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were
free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death
or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to:
a) No person was designated to supervise and prescribed acceptable safe
procedures in unloading precast panels resulting in an unsecured load
which tipped over creating a crush hazard.  These conditions were
evidenced by the following findings:
1) Employees were not aware of any specific verbal or written policy to
govern a routing pocedure:
2) Methodology utilized exhibited other than a trained response for
rigging operations:
3) Unavailability and discontinued use of previously utilized retainer
safety arms;
4) Semi-trailer was not level for unloading operations;
5) Employees was working in the danger area of an unbalanced
uncontrolled load:
6) Altering of the accepted procedure prior to the event.
A feasible abatement method to correct this hazard is to rig the load by
means of the Travelift crane before releasing binders and chains to
insure stability of the load.