OSHA Inspection: RIPA & ASSOCIATES, L.L.C.

Issued

2011-03-04 00:00:00

Abate by

2011-03-09 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1950.00

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 a caught in and/or struck by
hazard.
a. On or about 02/11/2011. On the job site - a John Deere Excavator 350DLC
was being
operated to perform work which consisted of scrapping sod and soil to
prepare a sloped
area for future excavation and trenching. This work was conducted on an
uneven surface
and the work required swinging the upper structure of the excavator to the
lower
side of
the surface grade. This movement and the extension of the articulating arm
caused the
excavator track on the higher side of the incline to lift from the ground.
The tracks were
parallel with the incline and not facing the direction of the slope as
specified by the
manufacturer in the operator's manual and by the Construction Industry
Manufacturers
Association safety manual for hydraulic excavators.
Among other methods, two feasible and acceptable abatement methods to
correct this hazard are:
1)Perform work operations with the tracks facing the direction of the
slope to
prevent the excavator from turning over.
2)Utilize other equipment with a lower center of gravity or higher
stability such as
a dozer.