OSHA Inspection: YELLOW FREIGHT SYSTEM INC.

Issued

Jul 31, 1998

Abate by

Sep 2, 1998

Penalty

Initial $5,000

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 the hazard of being crushed between moving
tractor-trailers and
concrete posts, and/or being struck by moving tractor-trailers.
(a)  On 3/19/98, at city dock # 14 at the Yellow Freight Terminal, an
employee was
crushed to death between a trailer and concrete post as a tractor-trailer
pulled away
from the loading dock.
Among others, a feasible method to eliminate or materially reduce this
hazard is to:
1. Redesign the roof canopy at the city docks so that the vertical columns
and posts
can be removed, thus eliminating the "blind spot" between the columns and
the
terminal wall.
2. Develop and implement procedures to keep employees out of the danger
area when
trucks are backing into or pulling out of the docks. Such procedures may
include but
are not limited to:
i)  employee training
ii) requiring truck drivers to check the entire area before backing into or
pulling out of the docks
iii) requiring employees performing clean-up work on the dock aprons to
rope
off the dock with stanchions, flags, & warning lines
iv)  requiring employees performing clean-up work on the dock aprons to
wear
reflective vests or high visibility clothing
v)  installation of warning / close clearance signs
vi) installation of mirrors where practical
ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION REQUIREDATION