OSHA Inspection: PENNOCK GROWERS, INC.

Issued

Feb 10, 2005

Abate by

Feb 16, 2005

Penalty

Initial $750 · Current $525 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 6(a) of the Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and Health Act:  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 physical harm to employees in that
employees were exposed to:
Seccion 6(a) de la Ley de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo de Puerto Rico:
El patrono no proveyo
empleo y un sitio de empleo libre de riesgos reconocidos que esten
causando o que puedan causar
muerte o dano fisico a los empleados, por cuanto empleados estaban
expuestos a:
At Pennock Grower Inc. located at Bo. Anton Ruiz Salid 25 Expreso 53,
Naguabo, employees
that stood on the New Holland bucket while being elevated in order to
access the earth blender and
wrap Washingtonian palm leafs were exposed to Falling hazard.
The employees were raised in order to access the wooden  panel on top of
the earth blender
machine where this employees stood at 7 feet above a lower level.  So they
were raised seven feet
(7") approximately in  the bobcat bucket.  The blender machine dimensions
are seven feet tall,
twelve feet 5 inches (12' 5") long, four feet six inches (4' 6") wide.
The blending machine had
two platforms.  The biggest platform was folded, not in use, and it was
twelve feet long three feet
six inches wide.  The other platform was four feet six inches wide long
and three feet six inches
wide.  Both platforms were three feet eleven inches above the lower ground.
The elevation to which employees were elevated in order to wrap the
washingtonian palms varied
depending on the height of the palm size.
The Bobcat specifications are NewHolland Trademark,  LS 180 model,  Serial
Number LNU
10346.
Among other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct
this hazard are to:
1. Employees work from the platforms built on the sides of the earth
blending machine
instead of working on top of the machine.
2. Wrap Washingtonian palms from ground level.
En Pennock Grower Inc. localizado en Bo. Anton Ruiz Salid 25 Expreso 53,
Naguabo, empleados
que se paraban en el  bucket del New Holland mientras eran elevados para
accesar la mezcladora
de tierra y para amarrar las pencas de las palmas Washingtonia  fueron
expuestos a Riesgo de
Caida
Los empleados eran elevados para que accesaran un panel de madera que
estaba encima de la
mezcladora de tierra donde estos empoeados se paraban a 7 pies sobre un
nivel inferior.  De
manera que eran elevados siete pies aproximadamente en el  bucket del
bobcat.  La maquina de
mezclar tenia siete pies de altura, doce pies cinco pulgadas de largo,
cuatro pies seis pulgadas de
ancho.  La maquina de mezclar tenia dos plataformas.  La plataforma mayor,
estaba doblada, noestaba en uso, y tenia doce pies de largo tres pis seis
pulgadas de ancho.  La otra plataforma tenia
cuatro pies seis pulgadas de largo y tres pies seis pulgadas de ancho.
Ambas
plataformas estaban
a tres pies once pulgadas del nivel inferior.
La altura a la que los empleados eran elevados para poder amarrar lapencas
de las palmas
washingtonian varia de acuerdo a la altura de la palma.
Las especificaciones del  Bobcat son marca NewHolland, modelo LS 180,
Numero de serie LNU
10346.
Entre otros metodos, factibles y aceptables para corregir este riesgo
estan los siguientes:
1. Que los empleados trabajen desde las plataformas que estan construidas
en los
costados de la maquina de mezclar tierra.
2. Que los empleados amarren las pencas de las palmas Washingtonian desde
el piso.

Issued

Feb 10, 2005

Abate by

Feb 16, 2005