OSHA Inspection: SCHLEGEL SYSTEMS, INC.

Issued

2004-11-23 00:00:00

Abate by

2004-11-26 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4500.00 · Current $2000.00 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 the hazard of being caught in a pinch point between the
chassis of Electric
Stand-Up Reach Fork Trucks and the horizontal shelves of storage racks
which can enter the
operator's compartment while traveling in reverse:
a) On or about 7/26/04, in the Warehouse, location S9A12: Employee
operating
Raymond Electric Stand-Up Reach Fork Truck, Model 21i.R4OTT, Serial no.
021D.90.05236, was traveling in reverse, and struck a storage rack. The
employee was
crushed between the chassis of the truck and the horizontal shelf of a
rack which had
entered the operator's compartment.
b) On or about 7/26/04, in various areas of the Warehouse: Employees
operating
Raymond Electric Stand-Up Reach Fork Trucks, Serial numbers 031lD775385,
208017988, 208017539, EZ-A-94-01066, and EZ-A-98-09987 while traveling in
reverse,
were exposed to the potential hazard of being crushed between the chassis
of the truck
and the horizontal shelves of racks which could enter the operator's
compartment should
the forklift strike a storage rack.
Among others, a feasable method to eliminate or materially reduce this
hazard is to equip the
Fork Truck with vertical rear posts which are available as an option on
newly purchased trucks
or may be purchased as an "aftermarket kit" from the manufacturer. A
second method would
be to lower the height of the horizontal shelves, such that, if an
operator backed into a rack, the
shelf would contact the frame of the forklift and not enter the operator's
compartment.
NO ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION REQUIREDATION