OSHA Inspection: SAHARA HOTEL & CASINO

Issued

Apr 4, 2002

Abate by

Apr 9, 2002

Penalty

Initial $1,625

General-duty citation text

Nevada Revised Statute 618.375(1):  The employer did not furnish
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:
The employer failed to ensure that anchorages used for personal fall
arrest systems were capable
of holding static loads of 5,000 pounds:
a.At the Sahara Hotel & Casino auditorium, an employee adjusted stage
lighting
fixtures while utilizing a personal fall arrest system.  The employee was
anchoring the personal fall arrest system to one of the four slings used
to suspend
the lighting truss. The rated capacity of the lighting truss and its
components
could not be determined in order to ascertain whether it was capable of
holding
5,000 pounds.  Employees were exposed to falls of 40 feet.
REFERENCE: ANSI Z359.1 - 1992, 7.2.3;  "ANCHORAGES SELECTED FOR PERSONAL
FALL ARREST SYSTEMS (PFAS) SHALL HAVE A STRENGTH CAPABLE OF
SUSTAINING STATIC LOADS, APPLIED IN THE DIRECTIONS PERMITTED BY THE
PFAS, OF AT LEAST 5,000 POUNDS IN THE ABSENCE OF CERTIFICATION."
ONE FEASIBLE MEANS OF ABATEMENT WOULD BE TO ENSURE THE LIGHT TRUSS
IS CAPABLE OF SUSTAINING AT LEAST 5,000 POUNDS BEFORE ALLOWING IT TO
BE USED AS THE ANCHORAGE FOR A PERSONAL FALL ARREST SYSTEM.
b.Employees inspecting roller coaster rails protected themselves from
falling by
wrapping the lanyard around the five inch diameter rail structure and
tying it back
onto itself.  Employees were exposed to potential falls of 72 feet at the
loop
structure, and 225 feet at the tower structure of the roller coaster.
REFERENCE: ANSI Z359.1 - 1992, 7.2.5;  "A SUITABLE ANCHORAGE CONNECTOR
SHALL BE USED FOR RIGGING THE CONNECTION OF LANYARDS AND LIFELINES
TO STRUCTURAL MEMBERS.  LANYARDS AND LIFELINES SHALL NOT BE
WRAPPED AROUND STRUCTURAL MEMBERS AND CONNECTED BACK ONTO
THEMSELVES UNLESS A SUITABLE ANCHORAGE CONNECTION MEANS IS
INTEGRAL TO THEM."
ONE FEASIBLE MEANS OF ABATEMENT WOULD BE TO USE SUITABLE
ANCHORAGE CONNECTORS OR TO USE "TIE-BACK" LANYARDS WHICH
INCORPORATE AN ENGINEERED DESIGN AND MATERIAL AS AN INTEGRAL PART
OF THE FALL ARREST SYSTEM.