OSHA Inspection: STURGILL TREE FARMS

Issued

Aug 10, 2001

Abate by

Aug 17, 2001

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $2,100

General-duty citation text

North Carolina General Statute 95-129(1) of the Occupational Safety
and Health Act of North Carolina:  The employer did not furnish
each of his employees conditions of employment and a place of
employment free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely
to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that
employees were exposed to:
1)Employer Sturgill Tree Farms failed to provide migrant
tree workers with employer-issued portable ladders with
nonconductive side rails where the employee or the ladder
could come in contact with exposed energized parts. [Reference
29 CFR1910.333(c)(7)].
Among other methods one feasible and acceptable method of
abatement is for employer to purchase and issue nonconductive
portable ladders such as fiberglass type ladders.
2)Employer Sturgill Tree Farms failed to protect migrant
tree workers when working in an elevated position near
overhead lines.  Workers and the longest conductive object
workers are in contact with, should not come closer to any
unguarded energized overhead lines than 10 feet for voltages
50KV or less. [Reference 29 CFR 1910.333(c)(3)(i)(1)].
Among other methods one feasible and acceptable method of
abatement is for employer to establish a buffer zone of 50
feet from any overhead power lines and train workers not to
enter this buffer zone with portable ladders.
3)Employer Sturgill Tree Farms failed to provide migrant
tree workers with a work place buffer of 50 feet from
energized overhead lines as interpreted by NCOSHA. [Reference
29 CFR 1910.266(8)(i)].
Among other methods one feasible and acceptable method of
abatement is for employer to establish a 50 foot buffer zone
from overhead power lines and to train workers not to enter
the buffer zone with portable ladders.