OSHA Inspection: WETTERAU, INC.

Issued

Apr 15, 1992

Abate by

May 18, 1992

Penalty

Initial $3,750 · Current $3,750

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:
(a)  Warehouse - Selecting - The evaluation of this manual
lifting tasks indicates that employees are exposed to an increased
risk of musculoskeletal injuries.  The injury and illness records
for 1990 and 1991 documented that there was a pattern of
musculoskeletal/overexertion injuries.
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 permanent administrative
controls can be implemented which will reduce employee
exposure to nominal risk.
Step 2 -  Submit to the Area Director a written, detailed plan
of abatement outlining a schedule for the
implementation of engineering or administrative
measures to control employee injury due to manual
lifting tasks.  Engineering controls to reduce
musculoskeletal stresses include, but are not limited
to job redesign, reduction of the horizontal and
vertical load distance from the body, reduction of the
lifting frequency, or weight, and 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 measures.
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.