OSHA Inspection: OLYMPIC STEEL

Issued

Nov 20, 2000

Abate by

Nov 24, 2000

Penalty

Initial $6,300 · Current $6,300

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:
On and prior to July 8, 2000, employees were exposed to serious injuries
while handling steel
coils with overhead cranes, in that unraveling of the steel coils
occurred or were likely to occur
due to insufficient rebanding of the steel coils and improper employee
positioning during such
material handling.
Among other methods, the following are feasible and acceptable methods to
minimize the
probability of injury during the handling of steel coils:
1.  Develop safe banding procedures which list the sequence of operations,
particularly during
the rebanding operations following the filling of "cut to order" tasks.
2.  Train all effected employees on the requirements set forth in the
procedures and related
safety precautions, including the importance of properly positioning one's
self in relation to the
coil, particularly when initially lifting a coil off the floor which
subjects the coil's bands to more
force than when resting on the floor.
3.  Enforce employee use of the procedures.
4.  Follow ANSI B11.18-1992 recommendations for proper banding as included
but not limited
in the following:
a.  Banding material should be a minimum of 1 and 1/4 inch wide by .031
inch
thick, heat treated.
b.  All banding seals should be double crimped.
c.  Corner protectors should be used on all bands placed through the eye
of the
coil.  They should be sufficient enough to protect against rupture of the
band due to the sharp
edges of the material or too acute of a bend.
d.  A minimum of 3 bands (equally spaced) should be placed through the eye
of
the coil.
e.  Bands should be placed on the circumference to the coil as appropriate
for the
size, gage, and grade of metal.
5.  Develop and implement safe placement procedures for banded coils in
order to prevent
damage and/or corrosion to the banding clips.
6.  Develop and implement safe stacking procedures for banded coils in
order to prevent undue
stresses on the bands of the bottom coils.

Issued

Nov 20, 2000

Abate by

Dec 8, 2000

Penalty

Initial $6,300 · Current $500 Reduced