OSHA Inspection: NYSDOCS ALBION CORRECTIONAL FACILITY

Issued

Aug 13, 2002

Abate by

Oct 15, 2003

General-duty citation text

NYSLL Article 2, Section 27-a.3.a(1):  The employer did not furnish to
each of it's employees,
employment and a place of employment which was free from recognized
hazards that are causing
or were likely to cause death or serious physical harm to it's employees
and which will provide
reasonable and adequate protection to the lives, safety or health of it's
employees.  In applying
this paragraph, fundamental distinctions between private and public
employment have been
recognized.
a)Corrections Officers, during the course of their assigned duties, are
exposed to
the safety hazard of assault by inmates while stationed in the recreation
yards of
the Albion Correctional Facility during hours of darkness.  Inadequate
lighting
is provided in the yards to identify weapons that could be used to cause
injury to
officers.
A reasonable and adequate method to abate this hazard would be to limit
use
of
the yards to daylight hours or to provide uniform lighting in the yards
with
consideration to the task being performed by yard patrol officers.
Intensity of
lighting specified by consensus standards, such as the Illumination
Engineers
Society of North America Illumination Handbook, would be reasonable.  A
light
value of 20-50 FC (foot candles) is referenced for the performance of
visual tasks
of high contrast or large size.
Source:  IES Lighting Handbook, 1981 Application Volume, P. 2-5,
Illuminating
Engineering Society.ing