OSHA Inspection: METROPOLITAN COMMUNICATIONS GROUP

Issued

2010-06-22 00:00:00

Abate by

2010-06-25 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $980.00 · Current $980.00

General-duty citation text

40.1-51.1(a) of the Code of Virginia:  The employer, Metropolitan
Communications Group, did not furnish 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 installing
telephone communication lines from a
bucket truck on a two lane road which exposed them to being struck by
moving vehicles by not having the work
zone set up in accordance with The Virginia Department of
Transportation-Virginia Work Area Protection
Manual TTC-19.0.
On April 26, 2010, an employee from another company was flagging
northbound traffic on State Route 42 in
Rockingham County approximately 1 mile north of the Augusta County line
between the intersections of State
Routes 835 and 728.  A second employee was flagging southbound traffic.
An employee of Metropolitan
Communications Group was working from a bucket truck within the work zone
with a groundsman close by.
The flagger stopped a vehicle traveling northbound.  A second vehicle
entered
the work zone and struck the
rear of the stopped vehicle.  The impact caused the stopped vehicle to
strike the flagger which skidded
approximately 90' before coming to rest in the shoulder of the roadway in
close proximity to the workers.
A.  The flagging station had not been located to allow sufficient stopping
distance.  The flagger was located on
the blind side of a curve at the bottom of a hill.  The stopping sight
distance was estimated to be between 250
and 300 feet.
B.  The northbound flagging station was approximately 1 1/2 miles from the
flagger symbol sign.
C.  A shadow vehicle was not present in the work zone.
D.  The work zone was estimated to be 3.5 miles in length.
One feasible and acceptable method, among other methods, to correct this
hazard would be to ensure the
minimum stopping sight distance for a 55 mile an hour zone was 495 feet;
the flagging station was established
no more than 1/2 mile from the flagger symbol sign; provide a shadow
vehicle with at least one rotating,
oscillating, or amber strobe light be parked be parked 50'-100' in advance
of the first work crew and to ensure
the maximum length of the work area did not exceed 2 miles as required by
the Virginia Work Area Protection
Manual TTC-19.0 (Non-Stationary Flagging Operation On Two-Lane Road).ne