OSHA Inspection: TWIN CREEKS COUNTRY CLUB

Issued

Jun 21, 2005

Abate by

Jun 27, 2005

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $1,800 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 a crushing hazard due to potential roll-over when
operating ride-on mowers on
sloping embankments:
(a)   On or about 05/24/05, the Twin Creeks Country Club operated a 60
Horsepower
Jacobsen AR-5 mower that was not equipped with a rollover protection
structure.  Steep hillsides
and roads were located throughout the golf course.  This exposed the
operator to the hazard of
being crushed, trapped or thrown by mower in the event of a roll over
accident.  Among other
methods, one feasible and acceptable to correct this hazard would be to:
1.  Install and maintain roll-over protective structures (ROPS) as
required by the manufacturer
for slopes greater than 14 degrees. (decals on the machine warn of this
hazard)
2.  Install a combination pelvic/upper torso restraint system as per SAE
J2292 OCT2000.
3.  Develop and implement an effective training program for the mower
operators which
incorporates, at a minimum, that operators read the operator's manual and
are  trained in the
safe operating practices for the mowers and in the recognition of
potentially hazardous operating
conditions. (Ref. ANSI B71.4-2004 Figure 3-Safety practices for commercial
turf care equipment
page 38)
4.  Install inclinometer sensors to alert the operator of unsafe slopes in
time to prevent roll-
over accidents.er