OSHA Inspection: FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY

Issued

Mar 25, 2004

Abate by

Apr 6, 2004

Penalty

Initial $7,000

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 blunt force injuries from a failure of the fiberglass boom
of an aerial lift truck:
a.On or about September 30, 2003, at the location of 42 Pitt Lane, Palm
Coast,
FL, an aerial lift truck had a catastrophic failure of the fiberglass
boom. This
truck had been involved in an automobile accident on August 27, 1996, in
which
the truck was rolled over onto the driver's side.  The employer  did not
contact
the truck manufacturer for recommendations relating to additional testing
necessary to ensure the integrity of the aerial lift equipment.
One feasible method of abatement, would have been to contact the
manufacturer of the
aerial lift truck after its accident for recommendations for additional
testing
such as
acoustic emission, magnuflux, and ultrasonic testing as instructed in the
manufacturer's
Operators, Maintenance and Parts Manual. These tests could detect
structural damage not
obvious from visual inspections.
ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION IS REQUIRED.TION