OSHA Inspection: COASTAL STEEL, INC.

Issued

Aug 2, 1996

Abate by

Aug 7, 1996

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $3,500

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The
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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 where there
was a hazard of losing control and possibly rolling a rough terrain
forklift truck; in that, the
vehicle was being operated on an uneven, muddy, dirt roadway at a high
rate of speed with a
6000 pound load raised higher than necessary to achieve road clearance.
Note:  The load
was 20 foot long bundles of reinforcing steel which overhung the lift
forks on each side.
The higher the elevation of a load, the higher the vehicle center of
gravity, the more unstable
the vehicle.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to correct this
hazard is to
enforce the posted 15 mph speed limit and to require that the vehicle
loads only be lifted to a
height necessary to clear the road surface.  Reference is made to para(s)
6.3.3,12 and 15, of
American National Standard ASME B56.6 - 1992, SAFETY STANDARD FOR ROUGH
TERRAIN FORKLIFT TRUCKS.