OSHA Inspection: BRITISH AIRWAYS

Issued

Oct 1, 1999

Abate by

Nov 19, 1999

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $1,750 Reduced

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:  Employees were exposed to the baggage conveyor belt located
along the floor that
starts up automatically. An employee could be injured from a fall if they
were standing on the
conveyor belt or stepping on the conveyor belt to get across to the other
side of the passenger
check-in counter and the conveyor started up automatically. Among other
methods, one feasible
and acceptable method to correct this hazard would be installing an
audible device that would
warn employees that the conveyor belt is going to start as stated in the
(ANSI) standard for
conveyors and related equipment, B20.1-1987 paragraph 5.11.2(b)(1).
Passenger Check-in Counter
(1) The baggage conveyor belt does not have an audible device to warn
employees before
the conveyor belt starts up automatically.
(2) The walls inside the baggage conveyor chute are damaged, causing the
baggage to
jam, exposing employees to the hazard of reaching inside the conveyor
chute to remove the
jammed baggage and the conveyor belt start up automatically.