OSHA Inspection: MIDAS MUFFLER SERVICE CENTERS

Issued

Feb 24, 1994

Abate by

Apr 30, 1994

Penalty

Initial $875 · Current $500 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:
On and prior to 2/22/94, employees were subjected to the hazards of being
struck by raised
automobile lifts or vehicles, and/or caught between lifts or vehicles and
the floor resulting in
fractures, multiple internal injuries, or death.  Potential failure of
the power systems or
inadvertent motion to operating levers would cause these lifts to drop
without mechanical devices
or safety latches to hold them in the raised position.
(a)  In Bay #1, also known as the Alignment Bay, its safety bar was
frozen in place and unable
to be positioned in the gears of the right hand column.
(b)  In Bay #2, its safety bar was also defective and was not able to be
put
in use on its gear
column.
(c)  Bay #3 had its rear piston's safety latch frozen in place rendering
it ineffective.  Also, the
hand control to the front piston was not spring loaded.  This control is
one of a set of three hand
levers positioned on the ground at the right front of this lift.
(d)  Bay #4 had safety latches on all of its 4 posts but the right front
latch and the left rear latch
did not automatically engage since their spring mechanisms were defective.
(e)  Bay #5 had safety latches on all of its 4 posts but neither of its
rear latches automatically
engaged nor did its front right automatically engage since their spring
mechanisms were
defective.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to correct the
hazard is to install or
repair automatic mechanical devices to hold the lifts in the extended
positions with a safety
factor of not less than 3 based on the rated load capacity.

Issued

Feb 24, 1994

Abate by

Apr 30, 1994