OSHA Inspection: AMERICAN LINEN SUPPLY COMPANY, INC.

Issued

Jan 10, 1990

Abate by

Apr 18, 1990

Penalty

Initial $1,000 · Current $1,500

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
serious injury from lifting tasks without administrative or engineering
controls. The injuries have occurred throughout the plant but were
especially noted with the following occupations;
A. (1) THE STOCK/MATERIAL HANDLER WAS OBSERVED PICKING UP AND PUTTING
BOXES OF TABLE CLOTHS FROM THE FLOOR ONTO THE PLATE OF THE LIFT FOR
THE PURPOSE OF STORAGE. THEY WERE STORED AS MANY AS FIVE STACKS HIGH
ON WOODEN PALLETS.
(2) THE STOCK HANDLER WAS ALSO OBSERVED MANUALLY BRINGING DOWN AND
PUTTING BOXES OF TABLE CLOTHS ONTO THE PLATE OF THE MANUAL BOX
CARRIER.
B. (1) THE BAG HANGER WAS OBSERVED PICKING UP AND HANGING BAGS OF
SOILED LINEN FROM ROLLING CARTS ONTO HOOKS OF THE CHAIN CONVEYOR.
C. THE ROUTE TRUCK DRIVERS WERE OBSERVED PERFORMING THE FOLLOWING:
(1) LOADING BAGS OF CLEAN LINEN INTO STEP VANS/TRUCKS FROM THE
GROUND.
(2) PICKING UP AND CARRYING BAGS OF CLEAN LINEN FROM VANS TO THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF CUSTOMERS.
(3) PICKING UP AND CARRYING BAGS OF SOILED LINEN FROM THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF CUSTOMERS INTO VANS.
(4) UNLOADING BAGS OF SOILED LINEN IN/ONTO BINS OR ROLLING CARTS
FROM VANS.
THE EVALUATION OF THESE MANUAL LIFTING TASKS INDICATES THAT EMPLOYEES
ARE EXPOSED TO AN INCREASED RISK OF MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES.
THE INJURY AND ILLNESS RECORDS FOR 1987, 1988, AND  1989 DOCUMENTED
THAT THERE WAS A PATTERN OF MUSCULOSKELETAL/OVEREXERTION INJURY.
ABATEMENT NOTE: THE REVIEW OF INJURY AND ILLNESS RECORDS FOR 1987, 1988
AND 1989 REVEALED AND DOCUMENTED THAT MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES OCCURRED
PLANT WIDE WITH A HIGHER INCIDENCE OF INJURY REPORTED FOR THE
OCCUPATIONS LISTED ABOVE.
THE COMMON FACTOR THROUGHOUT THE PLANT IS THAT THESE MUSCULOSKELETAL
INJURIES RESULTED FROM LIFTING, CARRYING, LOADING AND/OR UNLOADING BAGS
OF LINEN AND BOXES OF TABLE CLOTHS.
AMONG OTHER METHODS, FEASIBLE AND USEFUL METHODS TO REDUCE, ELIMINATE
OR CORRECT THE HAZARD INCLUDE:
1) TRAINING AND SUPERVISION OF EMPLOYEES IN PROPER LIFTING AND
HANDLING TECHNIQUES AND IN THE RECOGNITION AND AVOIDANCE OF HAZARDS
ASSOCIATED WITH MATERIAL HANDLINGS.
2) EVALUATION OF THE LIFTING TASKS TO DETERMINE PROPER WEIGHT RANGES
FOR BAGS AND BOXES.
3) ERGONOMIC REDESIGN OF LINEN BAGS AND/OR WORKSTATIONS TO PERMIT
POSITIONING OF EMPLOYEES' BODIES WHICH WOULD ALLOW EVEN LIFTS, CLOSE
THE BODY, AND AT A HEIGHT TO MINIMIZE THE STRESS OF THE LIFTS.
STEP 1 - EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE PROTECTION, SUCH AS EMPLOYEE TRAINING,
PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT, JOB ROTATION, ETC, SHALL BE PROVIDED AS AN
INTERIM PROTECTIVE MEASURE UNTIL FEASIBLE ENGINEERING OR
ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED OR WHENEVER SUCH
CONTROLS FAIL TO REDUCE EMPLOYEE EXPOSURE TO NOMINAL RISK.
THESE CONTROLS ARE NOT LIMITED TO, JOB REDESIGN, REDUCTION OF
THE HORIZONTAL AND VERITCAL LOAD DISTANCE FROM THE BODY,
REDUCTION OF LIFTING WEIGHT AND THE USE OF MECHANICAL
LIFTING AIDS. THIS PLAN SHALL INCLUDE, AT A MINIMUM,
TARGET DATES FOR THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS WHICH MUST BE
CONSISTENT WITH THE DATES REQUIRED BY THIS CITATION:
1) EVALUATION OF THE CONDITIONS, LOCATIONS AND MANUAL
LIFTING ACTIVITIES THAT THE EMPLOYEES ARE PERFORMING
AT THE ONSET OF MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES.
2) EVALUATION OF APPLICABLE CONTROL MEASURE(S).
3) PROCUREMENT, INSTALLATION, AND OPERATION OF
SELECTED CONTROL MEASURE(S).
4) MONITORING TO ASSURE EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF
THE CONTROL MEASURE(S).
STEP - 3 ABATEMENT SHALL HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BY IMPLEMENTATION
OF FEASIBLE ENGINEERING OR ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS,
UPON VERIFICATION OF THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN REDUCING
THE OCCURRENCE OF MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES.

Issued

Jan 10, 1990

Abate by

Feb 15, 1990

Penalty

Initial $100 · Current $100

Issued

Jan 10, 1990

Abate by

Feb 15, 1990

Issued

Jan 10, 1990

Abate by

Jan 29, 1990