OSHA Inspection: NYSDOCCS FIVE POINTS CORRECTIONAL FACILITY

Issued

2002-07-19 00:00:00

Abate by

2003-01-06 00:00:00

General-duty citation text

NYSLL Article 2, Section 27(a)(3)(a)(1):  The employer did not furnish to
each of its
employees, employment and a place of employment which was free from
recognized hazards that
were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees and which will
provide reasonable and adequate protection to the lives, safety, or health
of its 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 recreation yards #8, 9,
10, 11, and 12 at the Five
Points Correctional Facility in hours of darkness.  Inadequate lighting is
provided in the yards
to identify weapons that could be used to cause injury to officers.
A feasible and useful abatement method 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 consciences standards
such as Illumination
Engineers Society of North America Illumination Handbook would be
reasonable.  A light value
of 20-50 FC (foot candles) is referenced for performance of visual task of
high contrast or large
size.
Source:IES Lighting Handbook, 1981 Application Volume, P.2-5 Illuminating
Engineering Society.