OSHA Inspection: HAMON COOLING TOWERS, INC.

Issued

Dec 11, 2000

Abate by

Jan 8, 2001

Penalty

Initial $4,200

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not
furnish employmnent 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 a falling cooling tower structural framework:
The employer failed to have available on site and follow plans and
procedures that had been
established to brace the framework of a cooling tower during the assembly
of the structual
members of the tower wherein the potential for failure of the continued
integrity of the
framework was recognized as being possible from known or predictable wind
and wind gusts.
The potential for a falling tower structural framework was demonstrated by
the following
instance:
On or about 6/14/00, the structure of a cooling tower being erected was
not properly braced
according to the established plan and procedures and the structure
collapsed due to a gust of
wind.  The end braces (struts) had been connected to the top of a conex
box instead of the pad-
eye type base plates imbedded in the concrete base of the structure, and
had not been braced to
prevent the braces from buckling at points along the length of the braces
(struts) as specified in
the established plans and procedures.
Among other methods, recognized means of abatement include, but are not
limited to:
1) Determine the possible wind load for prevailing and possible wind gusts
conditions and install
interim temporary braces to withstand the maximum forces predicted from
the wind analysis.
2) Make available on site and follow the establised erection plan made by
the company.