OSHA Inspection: NATIONAL ERECTORS, INC.

Issued

Sep 25, 2003

Abate by

Sep 30, 2003

Penalty

Initial $3,000 · Current $1,500 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 being struck by falling loads of re-bar from heights of up
to 224-feet. Using
a crane,  the re-bar was lifted from a barge to the elevated work area in
ripped, torn and frayed
woven polypropylene bags,which were designed by the manufacturer to move
dry, free-flowing
materials with a forklift. One feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard
is to lift the re-bar with a proper lifting device such as a material pan
that has been properly
rated and marked and load tested.
a) At the material barge at West Island, the employer used polypropylene
bags which were
designed to lift dry free-flowing materials which were found to be in
torn, ripped and  frayed
condition, and they were used to lift loose re-bar in loads of up to 2,500
lbs
each to heights of
up to 224 feet.