OSHA Inspection: MONROVIA NURSERY COMPANY INC

Issued

Aug 8, 2000

Abate by

May 23, 2000

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

General-duty citation text

ORS654.010:  The employer did not furnish a place of employment which was
safe and healthful
for employees, and did not do every other thing reasonably necessary to
protect the life, safety,
and health of the employees:
a) The employer did not conduct a hazard evaluation of the task to be
performed (displacing the
air bubbles of the rubber liner at the Echiler Pond).  The employer did
not ensure proper
personal protective equipment was provided to employees to ensure safe
completion of the task,
nor was any form of emergency action plan used or in place, as evidenced
by: 1) this task had
been performed several times using the same procedures prior to the
accident; 2) while
performing this task the boat previously sank; 3) the employer did not
determine if the boat was
appropriate for the task or what the weight capacity was to prevent
overloading; 4) the employer
did not determine which employees would be most qualified to perform this
task; 5) the
employer did not provide or ensured the use of personal protective
equipment
based on
knowledge, skills, and abilities of those performing the task; 6) the
employer did not ask the
employees assigned to perform this task if they knew how to swim; 7) the
employer had not
prepared a rescue plan in the event the boat sank and there were no
sufficient means to rescue
employees from the water; 8) employees were not provided sufficient
instruction by the lead
worker or the immediate supervisor on how to perform the task safely and
the supervisor was
present when the boat sank during the prior incident; 9) the employer did
not conduct an
accident or a near-miss investigation, nor were any changes implemented as
a result of the first
sinking, other than the lead worker being told not to fill the sandbags so
full.
THIS VIOLATION WAS COMPLIED WITH AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION.