OSHA Inspection: PATHMARK MARLBORO

Issued

Apr 29, 1993

Abate by

Sep 2, 1993

Penalty

Initial $350 · Current $350

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 falls from an elevation while using 8 foot and 14 foot
fiberglass stepladders that had defective locking devices (spreaders)
that could not securely hold the front and back sections of the
stepladders in the open position:
a)  Pathmark Marlboro Store, "Werner" fiberglass reinforced
plastic 8 foot and 14 foot stepladders used to hang window
signs and perform other maintenance type functions, had
spreaders broken and locking mechanisms were loosely wired
in place which created an unstable condition since the front
and back sections of the ladders could not be rigidly held
in the open position.
One feasible and acceptable method of abatement would be to follow the
requirements of the American National Standard for Ladders, ANSI A
14.51982
- Portable Reinforced Plastic - Safety Requirements - Section
9-4-1 and 9-4-2 which requires that ladders be inspected periodically,
preferably before each use, and if found defective, that the ladders
be marked and taken out of service until they are repaired by a
competent
person or destroyed.