OSHA Inspection: WASTE MANAGEMENT OF MASSACHUSETTS

Issued

Feb 3, 2004

Abate by

May 30, 2004

Penalty

Initial $4,500 · Current $2,250 Reduced

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 fall hazards
while climbing up the front-end loader trucks to clean garbage from the
top of
the truck:
Wittke front-end loader trucks:  Drivers who are required to remove garbage
that falls on the top of the truck are exposed to multiple fall hazards in
excess of eleven feet when climbing up onto the top of the canopy without
ladders and working on top of the truck without fall protection.
Feasible and acceptable methods of abatement include:
1.Modifying the cage and training the drivers to adjust the forks properly
while dumping the carry can into the hopper to limit the amount of garbage
falling out onto the top of the truck;
2.Providing ladders, portable stairs, tools with extended reach, or other
safe means to reach the garbage on the truck and canopy without accessing
the
top of the truck;
3.Providing safe means of access to the top of the truck and then
providing fall protection to employees working on the top of the truck.g