OSHA Inspection: SNOWS CAISSON DRILLING INC.

Issued

Oct 13, 1999

Abate by

Oct 21, 1999

Penalty

Initial $875 · Current $875

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 the hazard of heavy metal anchor plates under great
pressure coming loose and
striking the employees:
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct would be to
instruct the employees in the proper procedures for using the bolt
anchors,
and conducting an
inspection of the entire drilling operation before starting each job.
a)  At 1600 Maroon Creek Rd. Aspen, CO. (G.E. Johnson Construction Co.
jobsite):
Employees doing drilling operations in an elevator shaft were exposed to
flying object
hazards.  The anchors for the winch pulley were improperly installed
allowing the anchor
plate and cable to come loose.
Abatement Note:  Abatement certification is required for this item (see
enclosed "Sample
Abatement-Certification Letter").
Evaluation of 5a1 elements
1.  The employer failed to keep the workplace free of a hazard to which
employees of that
employer were exposed:  The improperly installed metal plate came loose
and allowed the wire
rope and the plate to strike the job foreman who was running the controls
of the winch.  He
missed several days of work and work was stopped at this site.
2.  The hazard was recognized:  The crew members knew there was extreme
force on this pulley
which transferred the pull in a 90 degree angle.  The anchor plate was
made with more holes
in it because of this force.  The EEs who installed the plate noted the
honeycomb effect of the
concrete and told the foreman.  The anchor industry sends out warnings as
to how deep and how
much surrounding concrete there should be to safely secure the anchors.
Experience shows that
anchors placed at the edge of concrete pours crack and pull out.
3.  The hazard was causing or was likely to cause death or serious physicl
harm:
Serious
enough harm was done to the victim to have him miss days of work.  The
idea of a very heavy
metal object and several feet of wire rope being under enough pressure to
hold a 5000 pound
drilling rig means that common sense sees a problem if this plate comes
unanchored.
4.  There was a feasible and useful method to correct the hazard.
Training the employees
involved in the set-up of the drilling operation as to industry standards
for installation of anchor
bolts.  Training the employees as to the idea of sheer strengty vs
pull-out strength and how the
placement of the plate affects this.  Requiring the foreman to do a site
inspection of all anchors
before the operation begins would also allow for the hazard to be spotted
and abated before it
becomes a hazard.