OSHA Inspection: DJ MANUFACTURING CORP

Issued

Jan 7, 2003

Abate by

Feb 3, 2003

Penalty

Initial $975 · Current $488 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 6(a) of the Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and Health Act:  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 physical harm to employees in
that employees were
exposed to:
Seccion 6(a) de la Ley de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo de Puerto Rico:
El patrono no
proveyo empleo y un sitio de empleo libre de riesgos reconocidos que esten
causando o que
puedan causar muerte o dano fisico a los empleados, por cuanto empleados
estaban expuestos
a:
In cleaning tasks employee used aluminum extension ladder, 15'-0" long
extendible
approximately another 15'-0", to reach lamps at heights of 8'-0" and fans
at 15'-0", where top
part of ladder rests on structure's  beam.  Employee has to extend arms
and body to reach areas
to be cleaned, the ascending and descending activities cause fatigue, for
which the equipment
was not appropiate for the operation since it doesn't provide a safe
platform for the employee
to stand on.  The employee was exposed to falls.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard is
to provide a safe working portable platform with stairs and guardrails as
those used to access
merchandise shelves along with training appropiate for the equipment and
the task.
En tareas de limpieza el empleado usaba escalera de extension en aluminio,
15'-0"de largo
extendible otros 15'-0" aproximadamente, para alcanzar lamparas a alturas
de 8'-0" y abanicos
a 15'-0", donde la parte superior descansa en viga que es parte de la
estructura.  El empleado
tiene que extender los brazos y el cuerpo para alcanzar areas para ser
limpiadas, las actividades
de subir y bajar causan fatiga, por lo que el equipo no era apropiado para
la operacion ya que
no provee una plataforma segura para pararse.  El empleado estaba expuesto
a caidas.
Entre otros metodos, un metodo factible y aceptable de corregir este
riesgo
es de proveer una
plataforma de trabajo portatil segura con escalera y barandas como
aquellas utilizadas para
accesar mercancia de los estantes junto con adiestramiento apropiado para
el equipo y la tarea.