OSHA Inspection: DOWNEAST COFFEE CO.

Issued

Jun 9, 2005

Abate by

Jun 15, 2005

Penalty

Initial $6,000 · Current $4,500 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 falls while carrying objects on ladders:
Employees using the Wiener fiberglass-aluminum extension ladder were
carrying objects
or loads that could cause them to lose balance and fall.
a)On three occasions an employee climbed down the ladder carrying a box
containing a cup rack called Dispense-Rite.  The potential fall distance
was about
9 feet from the ladder at the top shelf of storage rack to the concrete
floor below.
b)An employee carried a box of Columbian Coffee down the ladder from a
height
of about 11 ft.7 in., the height of two pallets of Columbian Coffee
stacked one
upon the other.
Your company was previously cited for a violation of this Occupational
Safety and Health
Standard which was contained in OSHA Inspection Number 308181510, Citation
Number
1, Item Number 1, issued on 04/26/2005.
On 5/12/05 at the informal conference the President of the employer signed
an
"Abatement Certification" letter that stated: "...the violation identified
as Citation 1 and
item 1 was corrected on or before 5/02/05 by ceasing to use a ladder in
the building."
A method of abatement is to use the existing 4 foot tall Louisville
rolling step ladder to
remove materials from the top of the storage rack (9 foot height).  A
taller rolling step
ladder is required to reach materials stored at greater heights.  As with
the extension
ladder, material may not be carried up and down these step ladders.
A material handling device is recommend to remove  materials from  heights
greater than
can be reached by the 4 foot Louisville step ladder.  A mobile stair to
reach necessary
heights, would allow employees to carry materials down the stairs.
No safe access has been provided from the top shelf of the storage rack to
the floor on
top of the office, a height of 3 ft.- 5 in.  Either provide safe access,
use a mobile stair,
or use the Weiner extension ladder placed at the edge of the floor (on top
of the office)
rather than on the edge of the top shelf of the storage rack.