OSHA Inspection: FRIENDLY MESSENGER SERVICE, INC.

Issued

May 10, 2006

Abate by

Jun 14, 2006

Penalty

Initial $1,500

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not
furnish employmnent 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 and/or crushing injuries should a trailer
be pulled from a
loading dock while employees were inside:
a)  North side of the building, dock door 20 -- a trailer was moved from
the dock
before the trailer door was closed and sealed, which lead to the death of
a loading
employee who jumped or fell from the truck approximately one-quarter (1/4)
mile
away, after it had left the facility, on or about 3/20/06.  The driver did
not ensure
that the rear door was closed before pulling away from the dock and
leaving the
facility; no inspection of the tractor/trailer was done before the truck
was moved.
Among other methods, one feasible and accepted method to correct this
hazard is to
require the driver to ensure that the motor vehicle's tailgate, tailboard,
doors,
tarpaulins, spare tire and other equipment used in its operation, and the
means of
fastening the commercial motor vehicle's cargo, are decured before driving
that motor
vehicle, as per 49 CFR 392.9.
Abatement certification and documentation required within 10 days after
abatement
date.  The certification shall include a statement that abatement is
complete, date and
method of abatement, and states employees and their representatives were
informed of
this abatement.  Abatement documentation shall include documents
demonstrating that
abatement is complete, such as evidence of the purchase or repair of
equipment,
photographic or video evidence of abatement or other written records.