OSHA Inspection: STEELCRAFT MANUFACTURING COMPANY

Issued

2006-05-19 00:00:00

Abate by

2006-07-07 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $5000.00 · Current $4500.00 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 pinch point hazards of being caught in and/or between the
moving chain,
rollers, gate and gate operators of the automated vehicular Class III
slide and swing gates such
as gates 4, 5A and 6A that were not adequately protected in that:
(a)Employees activating gate #4 located on Rossplain Road by keycard from
the opposite
side of the proximity reader were not adequately protected from the pinch
point hazard of the
gate opening and closing in that there were an inadequate number of
external entrapment devices
located on the slide gate to reverse the directions of the gate when
opening and closing, nor was
a mesh guard provided between the fence openings of 2 1/4" x 2 1/2" to
prevent access to the
keycard reader located on the fence approximately 48" from the ground on
the
side of the gate
where there was no proximity reader.
(b)Employees activating gate 6A located on Shell Road by keycard were not
adequately
protected from the pinch point hazard such as the opening and closing of
the gate in both
directions in that there were an inadequate number of external entrapment
devices on the sides
of the slide gate to reverse the direction of the gate when opening and
closing.
(c)Employees activating gate 5A located on Rossplain Road by keycard and
walking through
the gate were not adequately protected from the pinch point hazard such as
the opening and
closing of the gate in both directions in that there were an inadequate
number of external
entrapment devices on the sides of the slide gate to reverse the direction
of the gate when
opening and closing.
(d)The rollers-and-chain drives located less than 29" from the ground on
gate
4, 5A and 6A
were not guarded to prevent employees from being caught in the moving
rollers and the chains
when the slide gates were opening and/or closing.
Among feasible abatement methods, one such method would be to ensure that
automated
vehicular gates are protected by safety devices such as external
entrapment devices such as safety
edges on both sides of the slide gates that would reverse the direction of
the moving gate in
either direction and the use of safety mesh or a remotely located gate
keycard proximity reader
placement and roller and chain guards in accordance with the recommended
standards,
Underwriters Laboratories Inc., (UL) 325 standard for Door, Drapery, Gate,
Louver, and
Window Operators and System and the American Society of Testing and
Materials, (ASTM)
F2200-05 Standard Specification for Automated Vehicular Gate Construction.