OSHA Inspection: ASPLUNDH TREE EXPERT CO.

Issued

Sep 25, 2003

Abate by

Oct 13, 2003

Penalty

Initial $5,000

General-duty citation text

21 VSA Title 23, Chapter 3, Sub-Chapter 5, Section 223(a): 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 hazards associated with the felling of trees:
Location: Off River Road, Town of Moretown, at the VELCO high power lines
on the mountain side
Violation: The Employer failed to furnish each of his employees employment
and a place of employment which
are free from recognized hazards in that employees were exposed to hazards
while performing tree trimming
operations and line clearance operations where there was: (a) The  hazard
of employees being struck by dead loose
limbs lodged inside adjacent trees that dislodge and fall free to the
ground
level when struck by another tree as
it falls; (b) The hazard of slipping and falling on the unstable loose
shale soil ground. These conditions occurred
during the line clearing and tree trimming operations on the mountainside,
at the location above, resulting in an
employee being struck by a dead tree limb that became dislodged when the
tree he cut down struck an adjacent
tree dislodging the dead limb and freeing the limb to fall, 60 feet to the
ground level, striking the employee in
the left leg, fracturing the leg, immobilizing the employee. While the
employee was trying to run and escape, he
lost his footing on the loose ground.
Among other methods, feasible and acceptable methods to correct the
hazards include but not limited to: (a) a
hazard assessment that will evaluate, develop and deploy a safe operation
that includes but not is limited to the
identification and removal of any loose limbs inside any adjacent trees of
the trees to be cut down;(b) a hazard
assessment that will evaluate, develop and deploy a safe plan of operation
to prepare identify and/or establish a
safe stable walking working ground surface that also can be use as egress
in an emergency.