OSHA Inspection: MTB SERVICES, INC.

Issued

Oct 7, 2010

Abate by

Nov 2, 2010

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,000 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 were likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that one
or more employees were allowed or required to work from suspended
boatswain's chairs without
proper training:
(a)One or more employees performing window cleaning operations were
exposed to
serious fall hazards while working from suspended boatswain's chairs
without
having been properly trained in fall hazard recognition or the means and
methods
to mitigate those hazards.  The International Window Cleaning Association's
Window Cleaning Safety Standard (IWCA/ANSI I-14.1-2001) sets forth in
considerable detail numerous mandatory training requirements to prepare
workers
to work safely at heights from suspended boatswain's chairs.
On or about June 14, 2010, at a job site located at 2020 Baltimore Avenue,
Kansas City, Missouri, one or more employees were observed to be working at
elevations from suspended boatswain's chairs without having been trained
in,
among other things, self-rescue and emergency recovery procedures,
equipment
inspection, equipment manufacturer's instructions, anchorage selection,
proper
rigging assembly, and fall protection systems.  In at least one case, the
employee's training was limited solely to working with another employee
for two
days.
One feasible and acceptable method to correct the hazard is to establish
and enforce a program
for employee training that complies with the mandatory safety training
requirements set forth at
various locations throughout the IWCA/ANSI I-14.1-2001 standard, and that
complies with the
training guidelines set forth in Appendix B of that standard.
Abatement certification is required for this violation (using the
CERTIFICATION OF
CORRECTIVE ACTION WORKSHEET), and in addition, documentation demonstrating
that abatement is complete must be included with your certification.  This
documentation
may include, but is not limited to, evidence of the purchase or repair of
the equipment,
photographic or video evidence of abatement, or other written records.

Issued

Oct 7, 2010

Abate by

Nov 2, 2010

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,000 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 were likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that one
or more employees were issued and expected to use defective equipment that
had not been
properly inspected:
(a)One or more employees perfoming window cleaning operations were exposed
to
serious fall hazards while working from suspended boatswain's chairs using
devices and equipment that had not been inspected for visible defects.  The
International Window Cleaning Association's Window Cleaning Safety Standard
(IWCA/ANSI I-14.1-2001) sets forth in considerable detail numerous
mandatory
inspection requirements to ensure that defective equipment is identified,
removed
from service, and not placed into service.
On or about June 14, 2010, at a job site located at 2020 Baltimore Avenue,
Kansas City, Missouri, employees were observed to be working at elevations
using defective equipment including, but not limited to, broken
carabiners, frayed
ropes, frayed straps with ripped stitching, and a structurally compromised
wooden
seat on a boatswain's chair.  No inspections had been conducted to ensure
that
defective components were removed from service.
One feasible and acceptable method to correct the hazard is to establish
and enforce an
equipment inspection program to ensure that the mandatory inspection
requirements set forth at
various locations throughout the IWCA/ANSI I-14.1-2001 standard are
complied with.
Abatement certification is required for this violation (using the
CERTIFICATION OF
CORRECTIVE ACTION WORKSHEET), and in addition, documentation demonstrating
that abatement is complete must be included with your certification.  This
documentation
may include, but is not limited to, evidence of the purchase or repair of
the equipment,
photographic or video evidence of abatement, or other written records.

Issued

Oct 7, 2010

Abate by

Nov 2, 2010

Penalty

Initial $1,000 · Current $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 were likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that one
or more employees were wearing pelvic harnesses in lieu of full body
harnesses as part of a
personal fall arrest system:
(a)One or more employees performing window cleaning operations were
exposed to
serious fall hazards while wearing only pelvic harnesses in lieu of full
body
harnesses.  The International Window Cleaning Association's Window Cleaning
Safety Standard (IWCA/ANSI I-14.1-2001) sets forth in considerable detail
mandatory requirements for the components of a personal fall arrest system,
including the requirement to wear a full body harness.
On or about June 14, 2010, at a job site located at 2020 Baltimore Avenue,
Kansas City, Missouri, employees were observed to be working from suspended
boatswain's chairs and utilizing rope descent systems while wearing only
pelvic
harnesses instead of full body harnesses as required.
One feasible and acceptable method to correct the hazard is to establish
and enforce a fall
protection equipment and component selection program that complies with
IWCA/ANSI I-14.1-
2001.
Abatement certification is required for this item - use the CERTIFICATION
OF
CORRECTIVE ACTION WORKSHEET for this purpose.

Issued

Oct 7, 2010

Abate by

Nov 2, 2010

Penalty

Initial $1,000 · Current $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 were likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that
suspension lines and lifelines shared a common point of anchorage.
(a)One or more employees performing window cleaning operations were
exposed to
serious fall hazards while suspended from boatswain's chairs in that the
suspension lines and fall protection lifelines all shared a common point of
anchorage.  The International Window Cleaning Association's Window Cleaning
Safety Standard (IWCA/ANSI I-14.1-2001) prohibits the use of common
anchorage points.
On or about June 14, 2010, at a job site located at 2020 Baltimore Avenue,
Kansas City, Missouri, two employees were observed to be working from
suspended boatswain's chairs and utilizing personal fall arrest systems
where their
suspension lines and their personal fall arrest systems' lifelines all
shared a
common point of anchorage.
One feasible and acceptable method to correct the hazard is to establish a
program to ensure that
suspension lines and personal fall arrest system lifelines do not share
common points of
anchorage, a practice specifically forbidden by IWCA/ANSI I-14.1-2001.
Abatement certification is required for this item - use the CERTIFICATION
OF
CORRECTIVE ACTION WORKSHEET for this purpose.

Issued

Oct 7, 2010

Abate by

Nov 2, 2010

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,000 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 were likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that
suspension lines and lifelines were exposed to numerous critical stress
points and subject to
damage from surfaces on which they were bearing without being protected
from damage:
(a)One or more employees performing window cleaning operations were
exposed to
serious fall hazards while suspended from boatswain's chairs in that their
suspension lines and lifelines were bearing on surfaces that could damage
the
lines, and nothing was in place at these locations to protect the lines
from being
abraded, severed, weakened or otherwise damaged.  The International Window
Cleaning Association's Window Cleaning Safety Standard (IWCA/ANSI I-14.1-
2001) requires suspension lines and lifelines to be protected at such
locations.
On or about June 14, 2010, at a job site located at 2020 Baltimore Avenue,
Kansas City, Missouri, two employees were observed to be working from
suspended boatswain's chairs and utilizing personal fall arrest systems.
The
suspension lines and lifelines were exposed to metal edges at their
anchorage
point, at the base of a rooftop stairway around which the lines were
angled, and
at the edge of a metal-capped parapet wall over which the lines were
draped.
One feasible and acceptable method to correct the hazard is to establish
and implement a
program to ensure that workers are trained, equipped and required to use
secured padding at
critical line stress points as required by IWCA/ANSI I-14.1-2001.
Abatement certification is required for this violation (using the
CERTIFICATION OF
CORRECTIVE ACTION WORKSHEET), and in addition, documentation demonstrating
that abatement is complete must be included with your certification.  This
documentation
may include, but is not limited to, evidence of the purchase or repair of
the equipment,
photographic or video evidence of abatement, or other written records.

Issued

Oct 7, 2010

Abate by

Nov 2, 2010

Penalty

Initial $1,000 · Current $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 were likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that
suspension lines and lifelines were not anchored in line (or within 15
degress of perpendicular)
with the suspended workers.
(a)One or more employees performing window cleaning operations were
exposed to
serious fall hazards while suspended from boatswain's chairs in that the
anchorage
point for the suspension lines and lifelines was not in line with the
suspended
workers.  The International Window Cleaning Association's Window Cleaning
Safety Standard (IWCA/ANSI I-14.1-2001) requires that suspension lines and
lifelines be anchored in line with the suspended workers, or within 15
degrees of
perpendicular to the building's roof edge.
On or about June 14, 2010, at a job site located at 2020 Baltimore Avenue,
Kansas City, Missouri, employees were observed to be working from suspended
boatswain's chairs and utilizing personal fall arrest systems where the
suspension
lines and lifelines were anchored significantly out of alignment with the
suspended
workers.  "Alignment" was obtained by angling the suspension lines and
lifelines
around the base of a permanent industrial rooftop stairway.
One feasible and acceptable method to correct the hazard is to develop and
implement a program
to ensure that suspension line and lifeline anchorage points are in line
with the suspended
worker, or within 15 degrees of perpendicular to the roof edge, as
required by IWCA/ANSI I-
14.1-2001.
Abatement certification is required for this item - use the CERTIFICATION
OF
CORRECTIVE ACTION WORKSHEET for this purpose.