OSHA Inspection: RICE CONTRACTING CORPORATION

Issued

Jun 26, 2006

Abate by

Jul 29, 2006

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $5,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Title 40.1-51.1(a) Code of Virginia: At 23520 Overland Rd., Sterling, VA,
where employees were performing
construction work.  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 crushing hazards while assembling a Safety-Box
trench box (7'11" high by 24' long
with 6" thick steel walls) using a Caterpillar Excavator Model 345C.
On February 25, 2006, three employees were assembling a trench box to be
used at a later date when a side wall
of the trench box, that was balanced on the bucket of the excavator,
slipped off and fatally crushed one of the two
employees that were in the process of connecting the side wall to the
spreaders.  Although the trench box side
wall had  lift points installed on each of its four corners and the
excavator bucket was equipped with a lifting bar,
none of the installed safe lifting features (i.e. lifting points, lifting
bar) were used for the lift.  Instead, evidence
gathered during the investigation revealed that the method used for
lifting and balancing the trench box wall
during the accident was standard practice for assembling trench boxes.
One feasible and acceptable abatement method, among others, to correct
this hazard is for the employer to
comply with the following manufacturer's operation and use instructions
from Safety -Box and Caterpillar:
Safety-Box:"Recommended Safety Box Assembly Procedure.  Place one wall
flat on the ground.  Attach four
spreader pipes and secure with spreader pins and safety lock pins.  Lift
the other wall by the lift
lugs at each corner and place over the spreader pipes and secure with
spreader pins and safety
lock pins.  Using the lift lugs, upright the assembled box and set in
trench."
Caterpillar:Operation and Maintenance Manual.  345C Excavator, page 113.
"Use the lifting bar that is
provided on the linkage to lift objects."