OSHA Inspection: RIVERLAND HEDGING & TOPPING

Issued

Sep 24, 2007

Abate by

Oct 27, 2007

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · 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 an employee was
exposed to an electrocution hazard:
On or about March 31, 2007, while gable topping at the Williamson Cattle
Company in the Ruby Red
Grapefruit #3 block in Okeechobee Florida, an employee was electrocuted
after cutting the top of an
electrical pole causing the power lines to fall down onto the equipment
(John Bean - FMC Model 330
- L-2493F Top-All).  The two man operation (one tractor operator and one
top-all operator) had been
modified to use only one tractor operator controlling the tractor and the
hedging/topping trailer behind
him.  The modification effected the safeguard of the equipment by
obstructing the vision and controls
related to the potential hazard such as power poles.  The cutting arm
(boom) had been extended from
the original length by 5 feet.
ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE METHODS OF ABATEMENT, AMONG OTHERS, TO
CORRECT THIS HAZARD WOULD BE TO: 1) Not operate Pruning Machines with only
one person
in the cab of the tractor, since the equipment was designed to be used
with two people operating, (one
in the tractor cab and one on the Top-All's control basket operating the
equipment accordingly);  2)
While conducting the initial pre-job evaluation of the work areas, mark
out the "hidden" electrical
poles by placing a bright orange traffic type cone (or equivalent) in an
obvious spot marking the
area(s) of extreme caution increasing the awareness level;  3) Follow The
American National Standard
Institute (ANSI Z133.1-2006) 5.1.2 SAFE USE OF VEHICLES AND MOBILE
EQUIPMENT USED
IN ARBORICULTURE which states "Units shall be equipped and maintained with
the
manufacturers' safety devices, instructions, warnings and safeguards.
Arborist and other workers
shall follow instructions provided by manufacturers."

Issued

Sep 24, 2007

Abate by

Sep 27, 2007

Penalty

Initial $1,500 · Current $500 Reduced