OSHA Inspection: CHARLES W. PROCTOR

Issued

Apr 17, 1997

Abate by

Apr 21, 1997

Penalty

Initial $2,100

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:
AT A CORN SILAGE HORIZONTAL SILO LOCATED ON THE PROCTOR DAIRY
FARM AT 131 BALDWIN HILL RD. EGREMONT, MA  --  ON OR ABOUT 2/10/97,
CORN SILAGE SEPARATED FROM THE OPEN FACE OF A HORIZONTAL SILO;
EMPLOYEE WAS BURIED BY THE COLLAPSED MATERIAL FROM THE OPEN
FACE OF THE CORN SILAGE HORIZONTAL SILO.
AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT
METHOD WOULD BE TO DEVELOP A TRAINING PLAN WHICH INCORPORATED,
AT A MINIMUM, THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS:
1. PROVIDING PROPER SUPERVISION OF EMPLOYEE(S) WHO HAVE TO WORK IN
NEAR PROXIMITY TO HORIZONTAL SILOS.
2. PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING IN THE RECOGNITION OF HAZARDS
ASSOCIATED WITH WORKING IN NEAR PROXIMITY TO HORIZONTAL SILOS.
3. PROVIDING A BUDDY SYSTEM WHEN EMPLOYEE(S) HAVE TO WORK IN
NEAR PROXIMITY TO HORIZONTAL SILOS.
4. WHEN REMOVING SILAGE FROM THE PILE, ALWAYS START AT THE TOP OF
THE FACE AND WORK DOWN.  NEVER LET AN OVERHANG CONDITION
DEVELOP.  BY REMOVING THE CORN SILAGE FROM THE TOP OF THE FACE
FIRST AND SLOPING THE FACE SLIGHTLY TOWARD THE PILE, THE
POSSIBILITY OF BEING CRUSHED AND/OR SUFFOCATED WOULD BE
MINIMIZED.
5.  CONTROL UNLOADING HAZARDS BY NOT BUILDING HORIZONTAL SILOS
DEEPER THAN UNLOADING EQUIPMENT CAN REACH; UNDERMINING A SILAGE
PILE IS A DANGEROUS PRACTICE BECAUSE THE OVERHANGING MATERIAL
HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SUDDENLY BREAK LOOSE AND SEPARATE FROM THE
FACE OF THE HORIZONTAL SILO.