OSHA Inspection: LEWIS TREE SERVICE, INC.

Issued

Jul 8, 2010

Abate by

Jul 16, 2010

Penalty

Initial $6,300 · Current $6,300

General-duty citation text

North Carolina General Statute 95-129(1) of the Occupational Safety and
Health Act of North
Carolina:  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 struck-by hazards:
a)1200 block of Island Creek Drive, Troy, NC, on February 18, 2010,
employees
were planning to remove a 43-foot high, 18 inches in diameter tree. The
employees failed to remove all limbs to a height and width sufficient to
allow the
tree to fall clear of any wires and other trees in the vicinity. An
employee felled
the tree, and the tree fell forward striking another tree. A limb broke
free from
the tree being felled striking the employee.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to reduce
this hazard is to follow the recommendations of Section 9.5.4 of ANSI
Z133.1-
2000 that requires that the employees to remove all limbs to a height and
width
sufficient to allow the tree to fall clear of wires and other objects in
the vicinity.