OSHA Inspection: NELSON TREE TRIMMING

Issued

2006-11-01 00:00:00

Abate by

2006-11-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $5000.00

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
employee in that
employees were exposed to a falling hazard:
a) Livingston and Cornell Street, North Brunswick, NJ 08902. The employer
allowed
his employee to work on and from an Altec overcenter articulating boom
mounted to
the top of a 2005 White GMC C7500 truck, identified as vehicle number
895-5899,
performing line clearing operations with the employee donning a body belt
that by
definition did not meet the criteria set forth by the fall protection
standards for this
operation. The employee was donning a body belt with the D-ring positioned
in the
center of his back which does not constitute a positioning device but
rather a type of
personal fall arrest system. When the belt is used in this fashion it has
been
determined to be unsafe. In addition the length of the non-shock absorbing
lanyard is
to be a length that would not allow the employee to leave the confines of
the man
basket when properly connected to the anchor point. Condition observed by
CSHO on
or about 08/17/06.
ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE METHOD TO CORRECT THIS HAZARD,
AMONG OTHER MEANS, WOULD BE FOR THE COMPANY TO PURCHASE
POSITIONING BELT/BODY HARNESS WITH THE D-RINGS APPROPRIATE
POSITIONED TO BE USED AS A POSITIONING DEVICE. THE APPROPRIATE
LANYARD (NON SHOCK ABSORBING TYPE) WOULD RESTRAIN THE
EMPLOYEE TO THE CONFINES OF THE MAN BASKET AND STILL ALLOW
HIM/HER TO WORK FREELY WITH BOTH HANDS. PROVIDE ADDITIONAL
TRAINING AND MAINTENANCE FOR THIS NEW EQUIPMENT.