OSHA Inspection: PHILLIPS CLEANING CO.

Issued

Aug 30, 1993

Abate by

Sep 3, 1993

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $2,000

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
danger of serious injury and or death which results from the failure,
malfunction or misuse of suspension equipment during window cleaning
operations utilizing a boatswain chair at the Federal Office Building(s)
in Albuquerque, New Mexico:
Employees were exposed to the hazards of falling when required to
descend on a boatswain chair from a height of 140 feet at the
Federal
Building on 500 Gold Street in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as evidenced
by the following.
1.  Employees were not trained in the safe use of equipment prior to
use;
2.  Inspection of equipment was not done each day prior to use;
3.  Proper rigging, sound anchorages and/or tiebacks were not used
in
all cases, with particular emphasis on providing tiebacks and/or
counterweights, cornice hooks or equivalent measures when
non-permanent anchorage systems were used.  The manually propelled
car
used for the suspension of the boatswain chair was not provided with
adequate counterweights with a safety factor of 4 to 1 in that the
equipment weight together with the weight of the employee was
estimated at approximately 270 pounds.  The car was used without the
proper counterweights, or tiebacks to assure the safety factor.  The
roof car was "home made", in that no specifications were available
or
provided by the employer, upon request, as to the criteria used to
design this piece of equipment with the acceptable safety factors.
4.  The safety life line was not continuous in that five (5)
separate
fiber ropes were joined with knots and tied around the penthouse of
the Federal Building.  The rope did not utilize a safety hook to
prevent accidental disengagement.
5.  The boatswain chair was used in a building exceeding 75 feet.
The Federal Building is 140 feet high.
6.  Employees were not provided with perimeter guarding and/or the
use of standard guardrail or its equivalent to prevent employees
from
falling 140 feet.  A safe means of access was not provided for
employees accessing equipment or for the car attendant.
7.  The trackless car used by the window washer was not used with
curbs and or stops to prevent the equipment from traveling.  A car
tender was used to push and pull the car laterally on the roof.
8.  The fiber rope was not protected from chemicals or materials
that
could affect the safety of its function, the rope was subjected to
contact with roofing tar and residues containing petroleum
distillates, such as cleaning solvents, which can increase the ropes
stretch when used.
9.  Employees were not provided with work station tie-ins to prevent
their boatswain's chair from swaying.  The chair was used with wind
gusts from 12 to 34 MPH.
Feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct these
hazards may include, but are not limited to, the following:
As adopted by Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health
Act of 1970; American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A39.1 of
1987; Safety Requirements for Window Cleaning require that:
Item 1.     SECTION 6.1.4 BOATSWAIN'S CHAIR USE:  Persons shall be trained
in the use of boatswain's chairs before they are permitted to
use such equipment.
Item 2.     SECTION 3.2 SAFETY EQUIPMENT:  Employers shall provide their
window cleaning employees with safety equipment and devices
conforming with the requirements of this standard, and shall
maintain such equipment in a safe condition at all times.
(i.e.
daily inspections and removal of unsafe equipment and or
devices
prior to its use).
Item 3.     SECTION 5.3.2 RIGGING:  Roof irons or hooks shall be securely
anchored and shall be provided with tiebacks with a breaking
strength of 5400 lbs or better.
SECTION 6.4.2 SPECIFICATIONS - MANUAL BOATSWAIN'S CHAIRS:
Manual boatswain's chairs, their supports, and all accessories
shall be capable of supporting, without failure, a load of
1200
lbs.
Item 4.     SECTION 5.3.2 RIGGING:  Roof irons or hooks shall be securely
anchored and shall be provided with tiebacks with a breaking
strength of 5400 lbs. or better.
SECTION 6.3.1 RIGGING:  Rope attachment to a block shall be by
a thimble and eye splice.  Safety hooks shall be used to
prevent
accidental disengagement.
Item 5.     SECTION 6.1.2 USE AND APPLICATION:  Manual boatswain chairs
shall not be used where the height of suspension exceeds 75
feet.
Item 6.     SECTION 10.2.5(a) PERIMETER GUARDING:  Each building shall be
provided with a perimeter guard consisting of a parapet or
guardrail system which shall be not less than 36 in. high
above
the adjacent horizontal surface on which equipment is
installed
or which provides access to, or egress from, the equipment/
Item 7.     SECTION 10.2.5(c) PERIMETER GUARDING:  Equipment operational
areas for trackless-type equipment installations shall be
provided with structural stops, such as curbs, to prevent the
equipment from traveling.
Item 8.     SECTION 3.9 ROPE:  All fiber and wire rope shall be stored in
a dry place and protected against contact with corrosive
substances.
Item 9.     SECTION 6.3.2 RIGGING:  Work station tie-ins shall be provided
and used for all boatswain's chairs to prevent them from
swaying
during the window cleaning operations.