OSHA Inspection: ASPLUNDH TREE EXPERT CO.

Issued

May 27, 2003

Abate by

Jul 14, 2003

Penalty

Initial $5,000 · Current $5,000

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:
Worksite- On/About March 4,2003, The employee who was helping the other
employee was in
the process of cutting a tree using a portable hand-held chain saw, was
exposed to the hazard,
of coming into contact with the chain saw due to the following
deficiences:
1. THE EMPLOYEE PLACED ONE OF HIS HANDS BY THE TREE WHILE STANDING
TOO CLOSE TO THE OPERATING SAW.
2. THE EMPLOYEE WAS NOT WEARING APPROPRIATE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT.
3. APPROPRIATE TOOL(S) WERE NOT BEING UTILIZED.
CONSEQUENTLY, THE EMPLOYEE SUSTAINED SEVERE CUTS ONTO HIS HAND.
ABATEMENT NOTES:
AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE METHOD TO
CORRECT THE HAZARD IS TO:
1. DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A WRITTEN STANDARD SAFE TREE CUTTING
PROCEDURE UTILIZING PORTABLE HAND-HELD CHAIN SAWS FROM THE
GROUND.
2. TRAIN AND INSTRUCT EMPLOYEES ON THE ABOVE PROCEDURES.
3. FOLLOW ANSI/SIA Z133.1-1994 PARAGRAPH 7.2.4 STATES: THE ENGINE SHALL
BE STARTED AND OPERATED ONLY WHEN ALL CO-WORKERS ARE CLEAR OF THE
SAW.
ABATEMENT VERIFICATION IS REQUIRED AS OUTLINED IN PART 29 CFR 1903.19