OSHA Inspection: REPUBLIC SERVICES OF PA, LLC DBA QUICKWAY TRANSFER

Issued

Jun 17, 2005

Abate by

Jul 20, 2005

Penalty

Initial $4,500 · Current $4,000 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 crushing and/or caught between hazards when operating a
Case brand 1845C
model skid steer loader, P.I.N. JAF0197852:
a) Quickway Transfer Station - On March 31, 2005 the skid steer loader was
operated
with a nonfunctional interlock safety control in that the seat bar safety
device was broken
(i.e. the air cylinder strut supporting the bar in the raised or interlock
engaged position)
was broken off the point of attachment on the seat bar) and not engaged.
This condition
allowed the operator to actuate the hydraulic controls while outside of
the operator's seat.
The operator was working alone and was found fatally crushed between the
lift arms and
the front of the skid steer with the engine running.  The lift arms were
in
a raised
position with the bucket in contact and supporting a concrete barrier.
b) Quickway Transfer Station - Employee operators were not provided with
formal
training on the safe operation of the skid steer. Specifically, operators
were never
provided with or trained in the contents of the operators manual for the
skid steer loader
and did not perform and/or did not know to perform, as required by the
manual, a seat
bar safety test for correct operation each time before exiting the
machine.  Operator's
were not aware of the seat bar lock or that the seat bar lock was an
alternate/secondary
mechanism for keeping the seat bar in the raised position, thus engaging
the safety
interlock system, should the primary air cylinder strut fail.
c) Quickway Transfer Station - The horn on the skid steer loader was
inoperable thus
creating a potential hazard of striking a pedestrian or vehicle by not
being able to give
warning.
d) Quickway Transfer Station - The seat belt was not functional creating
the potential of
being thrown out of and/or crushed by the machine.  The skid steer was
equipped with
a Roll-Over-Protective System (ROPS), P.I.N.JAF0229802.  The ROPS system
is only
functional when the machine operator is restrained within the operator's
cab with the seat
belt on. The seat belt can also prevent the operator from leaning or being
jostled into the
operating zone of the lift arms and bucket.
e) Quickway Transfer Station - The skid steer loader was not taken
out-of-service when
one or more of the following unsafe operating conditions existed:
inoperable horn, non
functional seat belt, and the parking brake did not engage when the seat
bar safety
interlock was engaged or placed in the completely raised position.
ABATEMENT NOTE: AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND
ACCEPTABLE METHOD TO CORRECT THESE HAZARDS IS TO: ENSURE
THAT ALL SAFETY ITEMS SUCH AS THE SEAT BAR, HORN, SEAT BELT
ARE OPERATIONAL, AND TRAIN EMPLOYEE OPERATORS TO FOLLOW
THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS ON THE SAFE OPERATION OF
THE MACHINE AS SPECIFIED IN THE OPERATORS MANUAL AND NIOSHPUBLICATION No.
98-117, PREVENTING INJURIES AND DEATHS FROM
SKID STEER LOADERS.
NOTE:  ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION REQUIREDATION