OSHA Inspection: THREE BROTHERS STEEL & DRYWALL CO.

Issued

Mar 5, 2009

Abate by

Mar 10, 2009

Penalty

Initial $1,000 · Current $800 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not
furnish to each of his employees a place of employment which was 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 hazards of falling from an elevation while
working from the
oversized shop made platform raised on the forks of a rough terrain
forklift:
North side of building, employees conducting drywall activities were
required to work
from the elevated shop made platform that was attached to a rough terrain
forklift.  The
platform exceeded the platform design specifications for the forklift thus
affecting the
stablity of the forklift that was operated on muddy and uneven ground.
This condition
exposed employees to fall hazards of 16 feet from the tipping over of the
platform and/or
forklift.
Among other methods, feasible and acceptable means to correct the hazards
are to use
a safer alternate method such as the use of a platform designed and
approved by the
manufacture meeting the requirements of the "American National Standards
Institute".
ASME/ANSI B56.6 2002, Safety standards for Rough Terrain Forklift Trucks
section
8.24.1(b) require, "floor dimensions shall not exceed two times the load
center distance
listed on the rough terrain forklift truck nameplate, nor have a width
greater than the
overall width of the truck {measured across the load bearing tires plus 10
in. (250 mm)
on either side}.  In paragraph (f) it states that "labeling on the man
made platform should
have information prominently indicated on the platform (1) maximum work
load
including personnel and equipment; (2) weight of empty platform.
DISCLAIMERS:
1.  You are not limited to the abatement methods suggested above.
2.  The methods explained are general and may not be effective in all
cases.
3.  The employer is responsible for selecting and carrying out an
appropriate method.

Issued

Mar 5, 2009

Abate by

May 7, 2009