OSHA Inspection: EXIDE TECHNOLOGIES - RECYCLING DIVISION

Issued

Apr 18, 2005

Abate by

Apr 21, 2005

Penalty

Initial $7,500 · Current $7,500

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 potential fall hazard when working from a defective step
ladder.
(a)Acid Tower - Employees were required and/or permitted to use an eight
(8) foot
portable reinforced plastic step ladder to work on the carbon block and
maintain
a unit heater.  The third stair from the bottom was found with a quarter
(1/4) inch
dip in the step and the first step had a two (2) inch crack in it,
observed on or
about March 15, 2005.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this
hazard would include, following ANSI A14.5-2000, "American National
Standard for
Ladders - Portable Reinforced Plastic - Safety Requirements", including
but not limited
to:  performing periodic inspections, preferably before each use.  Where
structural
damage or other hazardous defect is found, ladders shall be marked and
taken out of
service until they are repaired by a competent mechanic or destroyed in
such a manner
as to render them useless.
THE EMPLOYER WAS PREVIOUSLY CITED FOR A VIOLATION OF THIS OR
SIMILAR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
STANDARD WHICH WAS CONTAINED IN ITEM NUMBER 1 OF THE CITATION
NUMBER 1 ISSUED ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2004, (OSHA INSPECTION NUMBER
305840605)