OSHA Inspection: RIPA & ASSOCIATES, L.L.C.

Issued

Apr 10, 2006

Abate by

May 13, 2006

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $4,900

Hazardous substances 8880

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(s) of being
struck-by or crushed when working in close proximity of paving equipment:
a) in that the back half of the track guard/fender for the street side leg
of
the paver was
missing, as observed on or about 12-27-05 and 01-09-06.  The
guards/fenders, both front and
back, extend several inches past the end of the track itself.  This
additional distance would
prevent employees from getting that much closer to the tracks which would
also provide more
time for an employee to respond and move in the event the unit began to
travel.
b) for the employees working on or around equipment such as, but not
limited to, concrete
slip-form pavers.  On or about December 27, 2005 while working in the
Country Walk
sub-division near Wesley Chapel in Pasco County Florida, an employee was
struck, then
crushed, when his foot got caught under the track of a Gomaco GT-6200
slip-form paver.  On
this date, the equipment was being moved in the reverse direction to align
the slip-form with
the previous day's work.  Unbeknownst to the operator, an employee was in
a blind-spot
(behind the wheel-house) when the equipment was put in gear, trapping the
employee's
foot
under the track preventing him from escaping the path of travel.  The
equipment continued to
track over the employee resulting in fatal, internal injuries.  The area
around the equipment
had not been "cleared" prior to being put in gear.
Abatement Note(s): Feasible means of abatement include, but may not be
limited to, the
following:
1. Establish and implement a formal training program which follows the
manufacturer's operating instructions: This includes the physical search
and
clearance of all blind spots.  Training must be in the language that
employees
can fully understand.
2. Ensure employees have a copy of the manufacturer's operator's manual on
each paver.
3. Ensuring that before operations begin, that all fenders/guards designed
for
the unit are in place.
4.  Installation of a parabolic mirror(s) which provide operators a view
of the
equipment's blind-spots.

Issued

Apr 10, 2006

Abate by

May 13, 2006

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $4,900

Hazardous substances 8880