OSHA Inspection: UNICCO SERVICE COMPANY

Issued

Dec 6, 2005

Abate by

Jan 25, 2006

Penalty

Initial $70,000 · Current $70,000

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 workers
engaged in window washing operations were exposed to fall hazards,
crushing hazards, and
struck-by hazards resulting from an improperly rigged, anchored and/or
operated outrigger beam
suspension unit in such operations.
(a) Location - Six New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA:
On 6/8/2005, an employee washing windows while suspended from an improperly
rigged, anchored and/or operated Fitch Mule Mid-Size Roof Roller on the
building's flat
roof top fell about 48 feet and then was struck by the Roof Roller when it
rolled or fell
off the roof top and landed on him.
* The Roof Roller was not tied back to an anchorage point on the building,
as per the
manufacturer's instructions and ANSI/IWCA STD I-14.1-2001.
* The Roof Roller was not equipped with sufficient weight in
counterweights
to provide
for minimum weight and stability factors, e.g. the 4 to 1 safety ratio set
forth in
ANSI/IWCA STD I-14.1-2001 (or otherwise established in the manufacturer's
instructions) regarding static position use and horizontal traveling
position use.
* The Roof Roller's 2 front wheels were improperly installed.
* The employee tending the Roof Roller had little or no on-the-job
training -- and no
formal training at all -- in setting up, rigging, anchoring or using the
Roof Roller,
contrary to ANSI/IWCA STD I-1.1-2001.
* Horizontal movement of the employee suspended from the Roof Roller
occurred despite
the absence of the requisite 4 to 1 safety ratio for stability in the Roof
Roller as
assembled and the  absence of mandatory independent anchorage for the Roof
Roller and
the safety line as set forth in ANSI/IWCA STD I-1.1-2001.
* The employee suspended from the Roof Roller did not drop down to the
ground as per
the manufacturer's instructions when the Roof Roller made angled turns
around the
perimeter of the roof.
* No hazard assessment was performed prior to the start of the work.
* No on-site inspection was performed prior to the start of the work.
* No manufacturer's instructions were provided to the employee tending the
Roof Roller,
contrary to ANSI/IWCA STD I-14.1-2001.
Among other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct
this hazard
include but are not limited to:
1) Conduct comprehensive, effective hands-on training and testing,
repeated periodically,
to ensure that each employee engaged in window washing operations safely
and properly
rigs, anchors and operates the Roof Roller and any other outrigger beam
suspension units
used in such operations. Such training shall be conducted in employees'
native
language(s). Do not permit employees to engage in window washing
operations with
outrigger beam suspension units until they have completed such training
and testing in
a satisfactory manner.
2) When scheduling work to be performed, ensure that a competent person
conducts a
full and complete on-site inspection and hazard assessment for the
rigging, anchoring and
operation of outrigger beam suspension units to be used in the window
washing
operation. A competent person is defined as a person who is capable of
identifying
existing and predictable hazards with respect to window washing operations
and who is
authorized to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate such hazards.
3) Ensure that warning signs on equipment are written in the native
language(s) spoken
by employees.
4) Ensure that outrigger beam suspension units  such as the Roof Roller
are assembled
according to the manufacturers' instructions and provide a minimum 4 to 1
safety ratio
on each worksite as set forth in ANSI/IWCA STD I-14.1-2001.  By way of
example this
includes but is not limited to ensuring that:
(a) the front wheels of the Roof Roller - which serve as the fulcrum point
of the
outrigger beam - are properly positioned along the beam and also that they
are properly
installed with respect to the vertical positioning bolts, with regard to
the job needs at
each worksite; and
(b) sufficient weight in counterweights is calculated -- with due regard
for the fulcrum
point and the safety ratio -- then installed on the Roof Roller.
5) Ensure that outrigger beam suspension units such as the Roof Roller are
anchored &
tied back to a secure anchorage point on the building at all times when in
use as required
by  ANSI/IWCA STD I-14.1-2001 and the manufacturer's instructions
6) Do not use outrigger beam suspension units such as the Roof Roller on a
roof with
no parapet wall unless the roof edge is otherwise guarded so as to prevent
roll off.
7) Assign a competent person to each job site and ensure that (s)he
inspects the set up,
rigging, anchorage, counterweights and all aspects of the Roof Roller &/or
any other
outrigger beam suspension unit prior to and during each use.  A competent
person is
defined as a person who is capable of identifying existing and predictable
hazards with
respect to window washing operations and who is authorized to take prompt
corrective
measures when needed.

Issued

Dec 6, 2005

Abate by

Dec 9, 2005

Penalty

Initial $70,000 · Current $70,000

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 workers
engaged in window washing operations were exposed to fall hazards
resulting from improperly
rigged &/or anchored personal fall protection equipment and an improperly
anchored Sky Genie
Descent Control chair system.
(a) Location - Six New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA:
On or about 6/8/2005, an employee washing windows while suspended in a Sky
Genie
Descent Control chair and wearing a full-body safety harness with an
attached lifeline fell
about 48 feet. A single 1/2 inch Kernmantle rope was used as both the
Descent Control
chair support line and the full-body safety harness life line. This single
rope line was
connected to a single anchorage point on the unanchored Fitch Mule
Mid-Size Roof
Roller. When the Roof Roller rolled off the roof, the employee fell to the
ground below
and was injured.
(b) Location - Six New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA:
On or about 6/8/2005, an employee tending the roof top Fitch Mule Mid-Size
Roof
Roller, engaged in window washing operations, was wearing a full-body
safety harness
with a retractable lanyard that was anchored to the unanchored Fitch Mule
Mid-Size Roof
Roller. When the Roof Roller rolled off the flat roof with an unguarded
roof edge, the
employee was catapulted off the roof by his lanyard attached to the Roof
Roller.  He fell
53 feet to his death.
For both Instance (a) and Instance (b):
The two employees noted in (a) and (b) constituted the window washing
crew.
Communication between these crew members was problematic because one
employee's
native language was Portuguese, the other employee's native language was
Spanish, and
neither employee was fluent in English.  The employer supplied these two
employees
with two ropes for a set-up that required a minimum of four ropes for
safety purposes
as follows:
--1 rope to tie back the Roof Roller to a secure anchorage point on the
building
--1 rope for the support line of the Sky Genie Descent Control chair
--1 rope for the life line of the window washing employee suspended in the
Descent
Control chair
--1 rope for the life line of the employee tending the Roof Roller on the
roof top
Among other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct
this hazard
include but are not limited to:
1) Conduct comprehensive, effective hands-on training and testing,
repeated periodically,
to ensure that each employee engaged in window washing operations
understands and
uses the safe working practices applicable to his work and his equipment,
including but
not limited to:
* use of independent ropes for his life line and for his support equipment
such as the
descent chair; * use of independent anchorage points for his life line and
for his support equipment such
as the descent chair; and
* use of the support equipment such as the descent chair and the fall
protection systems
in accord with the manufacturer's instructions and ANSI/IWCA I 14.1 2001,
especially
with regard to warnings and design limitations.
Such training shall be conducted in employees' native language(s). Do not
permit
employees to engage in window washing operations until they have completed
such
training and testing in a satisfactory manner.
2) When scheduling work to be performed, ensure that a competent person
conducts a
complete and comprehensive on-site hazard assessment to ensure:
* that all necessary equipment and personal fall protection equipment is
listed and
brought to the site, including a sufficient number of ropes for life lines
and equipment
support lines;
* that there are sufficient independent anchorage points for personal fall
protection life
lines and equipment support lines;
* that each anchorage point to be used for such life lines is independent
and capable of
holding a 5000 lb load; and
* that each anchorage point to be used for life lines will not be used
simultaneously
to
support equipment.
A competent person is defined as a person who is capable of identifying
existing and
predictable hazards with respect to window washing operations and who is
authorized to
take prompt corrective measures to eliminate such hazards.
3) Assign a competent person  to each work site and ensure that all work
practices for
window cleaning operations are performed under his/her supervision,
including but not
limited to the following:
* Prior to the start of work, the competent person shall ensure that
sufficient ropes are
on site to provide adequate numbers of rope for each support line, life
line, and any
other mandatory lines (such as tie back lines for Roof Roller equipment)
needed to
perform the assigned work in a safe manner.
* Prior to the start of work and during the work, ensure that a competent
person inspects
all anchorage points, oversees each employee's proper use of independent
anchorage
points for equipment lines and fall protection life lines, and oversees
each employee's
proper use of independent ropes for equipment lines (such as the line
supporting each
descent chair) and for fall protection life lines.
A competent person is defined as a person who is capable of identifying
existing and
predictable hazards with respect to window washing operations and who is
authorized to
take prompt corrective measures to eliminate such hazards.

Issued

Dec 6, 2005

Abate by

Dec 9, 2005

Penalty

Initial $12,500 · Current $70,000