OSHA Inspection: ABF FREIGHT SYSTEM, INC.

Issued

Jun 13, 1991

Abate by

Jul 15, 1991

Penalty

Initial $4,500 · Current $4,500

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 OR 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
CRUSHING HAZARDS:
A) ON OR BEFORE APRIL 18, 1991, FREIGHT TRUCK OPERATORS WERE NOT
INSTRUCTED IN THEIR DUTIES AND TRAINED ON THE HAZARDS, SUCH AS,
BEING CRUSHED BY UNSTABLE LOADS, ASSOCIATED WITH THE TASK OF
ASSISTING OR PERFORMING THE UNLOADING OF PARCEL OR EQUIPMENT
WHICH INVOLVED THE OPERATION, OR DIRECTION OF OPERATION, OF
MATERIAL-HANDLING EQUIPMENT AT THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA, & SANTA
FE RAILWAY COMPANY YARD LOCATED IN TOPEKA, KANSAS.
AMONG OTHER MEANS OF CONTROL, FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE METHODS TO
CORRECT THIS HAZARD INCLUDE:
1) DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT PROCEDURES WHICH DEFINE THE DUTIES OF THE
DRIVER WHILE CARGO LOADING AND UNLOADING OPERATIONS ARE BEING
PERFORMED.
2) TRAIN FREIGHT TRUCK DRIVERS ON THE PROCEDURES DEVELOPED UNDER
ABATEMENT METHODS ADDRESSED IN #1 ABOVE, AND ASSURE THAT SUCH
TRAINING WAS EFFECTIVE IN CONVEYING A PROPER UNDERSTANDING OF
THE APPLICABLE PROCEDURES. ASSURE FREIGHT TRUCK OPERATORS ARE
REQUIRED TO PERFORM FREIGHT UNLOADING OPERATIONS REQUIRING THE
USE OF MATERIAL-HANDLING EQUIPMENT, AND ASSURE THAT TRAINING ON
THE SAFE USE AND OPERATION OF SUCH EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN PROVIDED.
3) ASSURE FREIGHT TRUCK DRIVERS ARE PROPERLY IMPLEMENTING AND FOLLOWING
THE PROCEDURES WHICH HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED.
4) WHEN FREIGHT TRUCK DRIVERS ARE REQUIRED TO ASSIST WITH CARGO-HANDLING
OPERATIONS, ASSURE THAT THE EMPLOYEES ARE ADEQUATELY TRAINED TO
SAFELY PERFORM SUCH TASKS. THE TRAINING SHULD INCLUDE PROPER USE AND
UNDERSTANDING OF STANDARD HAND SIGNALING, FROM A POSITION REMOTE TO
THE HANDLING OPERATION, IF DUTIES REQUIRE THE PERFORMANCE OF SUCH
TASK.
NOTE THAT THE ABATEMENT METHOD SUGGESTED ABOVE IS GENERAL AND THE
EMPLOYER, BASED UPON SUPERIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE TASK REQUIRED AND WORKING
CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SELECTION AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF ABATEMENT.