OSHA Inspection: HARRISBURG GARDENS

Issued

Apr 2, 2012

Abate by

Aug 15, 2012

Penalty

Initial $3,000 · Current $2,100 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 likely to cause
death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed
to permit-required confined space
entry hazard, including, but not limited to, atmospheric and struck-by
hazards:
(a)Behind 3951 Union Deposit Road, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania - Two
employees worked
mortaring pipes at the bottom of a storm sewer drain, 15.5 feet deep, on
or about February
13, 2012.  This storm drain was classified as a permit-required confined
space because it had
the potential for hazards, including, but not limited to, atmospheric
hazards (such as
accumulations of toxic or flammable contaminants or oxygen deficiency),
and struck-by
hazards from objects falling into the storm drain.  Prior to and during
employees' entry into
this storm drain, the employer did not:  (1) complete an entry permit,
containing the date of
entry, the duration of entry, the location of entry, the names or
identification of entrants, the
type of work to occur within the storm drain, the hazards within the storm
drain requiring
control or elimination, the safety equipment required, the safety
precautions required, the
identification of the test instrument and types of atmospheric tests
required as well as the
results of those tests, in order to certify the storm drain as safe for
entry and to certify that all
pre-entry measures had occurred; (2) conduct atmospheric testing within
the storm drain using
a calibrated direct-reading instrument, testing first for oxygen, then for
combustible gases and
vapors, and then for toxic gases and vapors; (3) isolate the storm drain,
as necessary, for
example, from flowing water; (4) provide a barrier around the opening to
the storm drain to
protect entrants from external hazards entering/falling into the space;
(5)
provide and require
the use of retrieval equipment for safe non-entry rescue; and (6) station
at least one attendant
immediately outside the opening of the storm drain to monitor the storm
drain for the duration
of entry, to communicate with the worker (entrant) inside the storm drain,
to direct the entrant
to exit the storm drain when any conditions occurred that could adversely
affect the entrant, to
initiate evacuation and emergency procedures if necessary, and to prevent
any unauthorized
entry into the storm drain.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard consists of
following the American National Standards Institute/American Society of
Safety Engineers
ANSI/ASSE Z117.1 Safety Requirements for Confined Spaces, 2009 Edition,
including, but not
limited to:
*Establishing and implementing a written permit-required confined space
entry program, which
includes specific entry procedures that identify hazards as well as the
actions required to
eliminate those hazards and which includes a requirement for a periodic
written performance
assessment of the program (ANSI/ASME Z117.1-2009 paragraph 3.6);
*Developing and using permit-required confined space entry permits, which
include the date of
entry, the duration of entry, the location of entry, the names or
identification of entrants, the
type of work to occur within the space, the hazards requiring control or
elimination prior to
entry, the safety equipment required, the safety precautions required, the
identification of the
test instrument and types of atmospheric tests required as well as the
results of those tests, in
order to certify the space as safe for entry and to certify that all
pre-entry measures have
occurred (ANSI/ASME Z117.1-2009 paragraphs 5.1 through 5.5);
*Conducting atmospheric testing within the permit-required confined space
using a calibrated
direct-reading instrument, testing first for oxygen, then for combustible
gases
and vapors, and
then for toxic gases and vapors (ANSI/ASME Z117.1-2009 paragraphs 6.1
through 6.3.2.2);
*Stationing at least one attendant immediately outside the opening of a
permit-required confined
space to monitor the space for the duration of entry, to communicate with
the worker (entrant)
inside the space, to direct the entrant to exit the space when any
conditions occur that could
adversely affect the entrant, to initiate evacuation and emergency
procedures, and to preventany unauthorized entry into the space (ANSI/ASME
Z117.1-2009 paragraphs 7.1 through
7.1.3.6);
*Isolating permit-required confined spaces to prevent flammable, toxic,
irritating, or oxygen
displacing gases, vapors, and liquids from entering the space, as well as
isolating all hazardous
material, high pressure, high temperature and other piping that could
introduce a hazard into
the space (ANSI/ASME Z117.1-2009 paragraphs 8.1 through 8.2.4);
*Using appropriate retrieval equipment or methods to safely evacuate
personnel from permit-
required confined spaces (ANSI/ASME Z117.1-2009 paragraphs 12.2 and
14.1.1.2); and
*Using barricades or other appropriate methods to prevent persons or
objects from falling into
permit-required confined spaces (ANSI/ASME Z117.1-2009 paragraph 12.3).
Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The
certification shall include a
statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and
states employees and their
representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Apr 2, 2012

Abate by

Aug 15, 2012

Issued

Apr 2, 2012

Abate by

Aug 15, 2012

Penalty

Initial $3,000 · Current $2,100 Reduced

Issued

Apr 2, 2012

Abate by

Apr 26, 2012

Penalty

Initial $3,000 · Current $2,100 Reduced