OSHA Inspection: PPG INDUSTRIES, INC., AUTOMOTIVE COATINGS GROUP

Issued

Jan 24, 1991

Abate by

Apr 14, 1991

Penalty

Initial $810 · Current $608 Reduced

General-duty citation text

SECTION 5(A)(1) OF THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT OF 1970: THE
EMPLOYER DID NOT FURNISH EMPLOYMENT AN 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 THE EMPLOYEES WERE EXPOSED TO:
ON NOVEMBER 19, 1990 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:40 A.M. AT THE REAR OF 416
THIRD STREET, MARIETTA, OH, THE DRIVER OF A FORD L 8000 DIESEL DUMPSTER
TRUCK BACK OVER AN EMPLOYEE'S HELPER CAUSING A FATAL ACCIDENT.THE
TRUCK CONSISTED OF A HEIL COMPANY FORMULA 500 BODY, 20 CUBIC YARDS,
SERIAL NUMBER FP-5544 AND A NUMBER 608, WHICH BEARS OHIO REGISTRATION
NUMBER 50J894.
THE EMPLOYER FAILED TO STRICTLY ENFORCE THE COMPANY'S WRITTEN POLICY
ON PROPER BACKING PROCEDURES, THUS ALLOWING EMPLOYEES TO BE EXPOSED TO
THE HAZARD OF BEING STRUCK-BY THE VEHICLE.
AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLEAND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT METHOD TO
CORRECT THIS HAZARD WOULD BE DURING THE TRAINING OF THE DRIVER AND
HELPER,
1) MARK OUT A "ZONE OF DANGER"EXTENDING IN FRONT AND BEHIND AS WELL AS
BESIDE THE VEHICLE.
2) IN FRONT, THE ZONE SHOULD EXTEND AS FAR AS IT TAKES FOR THE VEHICLE
TO STOP WITHOUT HITTING ANYTHING.
3) TO THE REAR OF THE REARLOADING COMPACTOR, THE ZONE SHOULD EXTEND AS
FAR AS THE DRIVER'S REAR BLIND SPOT EXTENDS OR AN ARM'S LENGTH FROM
FROM THE LOADING SILL, WHICHEVER IS LONGER. 4) THE HELPER
4) THE HELPER NEAR THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE MUST REMAIN VISIBLE IN THE
DRIVER'S MIRRORS AT ALL TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BACKING AND
5) IF THE HELPER CAN'T BE SEEN IN THE MIRRORS OR DISAPPEAR FROM VIEW,
BACKING SHALL STOP IMMEDIATELY, THE DRIVER SHALL GET OUT OF THE
VEHICLE AND RE-ESTABLISH THE POSITION OF THE HELPER.