OSHA Inspection: C & H POWER LINE

Issued

Sep 16, 2003

Abate by

Sep 19, 2003

Penalty

Initial $3,500

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 the hazard of fall or struck by an aerial lift overturning
with employees in the
basket on the boom of the lift.
An aerial lift with articulating boom being used to raise workers to the
required work height of
about 75 feet for installing new power lines was set up on one side of a
circle driveway without
the extending the outriggers on the side of the truck that was toward the
open driveway.
The employer failed to ensure that employees utilized appropriate means
for preventing the boom
from overturning.
The potential for boom/truck overturning was demonstrated on or about
April 7, 2003 when an
aerial lift boom and truck overturned while an employee was working from
the boom basket
when the basket was at a height of about 75 feet.
Among other methods, recognized means of abatement include, but are not
limited to:
1)  Follow ANSI 92.2-1969, Para. 3.1.3, which requires load charts for the
use of partial or full
outriggers as a function of basket load and radius around the truck, post
them at the operator
station, and train operators in the use of the charts.
2)  Install interlocks or limit switches on the mechanism which controls
the elevation/rotation
of the boom to prohibit elevation/rotation of the boom without the
outriggers properly extended.
3)  Devise a method to determine wind velocity, and establish a safe limit
for boom use based
on wind velocity.