OSHA Inspection: SHULL'S TREE SERVICE, INCORPORATED

Issued

2015-11-25 00:00:00

Abate by

2016-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $7000.00 · Current $7000.00

General-duty citation text

OSHAct of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1):  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 and fall hazards created when aerial equipment was not properly maintained:    (a) 3523 September Drive, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania - The employer did not maintain aerial devices on vehicles used in tree trimming and removal operations in accordance with manufacturers' requirements in that the employer never replaced the drive cable assemblies used to raise and lower the upper booms on the Altec aerial devices, model LR III 55, on employer Truck 19 and Truck 21, exposing employees to the hazard of getting struck-by a falling boom or bucket in the event of a drive cable assembly failure.  One of the drive cable assemblies on Truck 19 failed, causing the upper boom of this truck to free-fall, and the bucket on the end of the upper boom struck an employee on the ground, on or about May 28, 2015.    Abatement certification and documentation required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, the date and method of abatement, and state that employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement. Abatement documentation shall include documents demonstrating that abatement is complete, such as evidence of the purchase or repair of equipment, photographic or video evidence of abatement or other written records.      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  MODIFIED     Citation 1, Items 1 and 2 shall be revised to combine into one Serious violation of Section 5(a)(1) of the OSHAct and the description of the violation shall be revised to read:      Citation 1, item 1  Serious.  OSHAct of 1970 Section 5(a):  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 the employer did not properly maintain aerial devices on vehicles and periodically test aerial lifts in accordance with manufacturers requirements and the American National Standards Institute.      (a)	3523 September Drive, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania  The employer did not maintain aerial devices on vehicles used in tree trimming and removal operations in accordance with manufacturers requirements in that the employer never replaced the drive cable assemblies used to raise and lower the upper booms on the Altec aerial devices, model LR III 55, on employer truck 19 and Truck 21, exposing employees to the hazard of getting struck by a falling boom or bucket in the event of a drive cable assembly failure.  One of the drive cable assemblies on Truck 19 failed, causing the upper boom of this truck to free-fall, and the bucket on the end of the upper boom struck an employee on the ground, on or about May 28, 2015.    (b)  3523 September Drive, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania  The employer did not have the insulating aerial lift truck (Truck 19), used for tree trimming operations, periodically tested to verify the dielectric resistivity and to detect conductivity changes in the insulating sections, exposing employees to electrical hazards, on or about May 28, 2015.   Violation must be abated by January 31, 2016 and Shulls Tree Service herein acknowledges and agrees that it will not place Truck 19 or Truck 21 into service until such abatement is completed.  Penalty for Citation 1, Item 1 will be $7,000.    Citation 1, Item 2  incorporated into Citation 1, Item 1and penalty of $0.

Issued

2015-11-25 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-12-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2400.00 · Current $500.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.67(c)(2)(v): A body belt was not worn and a lanyard attached to the boom or basket when working from an aerial lift:    (a) 3523 September Drive, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania - An employee working from the basket (bucket) of a vehicle-mounted aerial lift did not wear a body belt or harness with a lanyard attached to the boom or basket.  On May 28, 2015, the employee was thrown from the basket when a drive cable assembly on the upper boom of truck 19 failed, causing the upper boom to fall.    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 state employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

2015-11-25 00:00:00

Abate by

2016-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1200.00 · Current $1040.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.333(c)(3)(iii)(A): Vehicles or mechanical equipment capable of having parts of their structures elevated near energized overhead lines were not operated so that a clearance of 10 feet (305 cm) plus 4 inches (10 cm) for every 10 kV over 50 kV was maintained:    (a) 3523 September Drive, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania - An employee worked aloft from a bucket to perform tree removal work. The lower boom of the truck came to within five feet of this electrical line, exposing the employee to contacting injurious electrical current on or about May 28, 2015.    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 state employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

2015-11-25 00:00:00

Abate by

2015-12-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.67(c)(2)(ix):  Articulating boom and extensible boom platforms, primarily designed as personnel carriers, did not have controls plainly marked as to their function:  (a) 3523 September Drive, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania - On Truck 19, one of the four levers of the lower controls had no marking to indicate the function of the lever, and three of the four levers of the bucket (upper) controls had no marking to indicate the function of each lever, to protect against unintended movement or function, on or about May 28, 2015.  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 state employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

2015-11-25 00:00:00

Abate by

2016-01-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): The employer did not develop, implement, and/or maintain at the workplace a written hazard communication program which describes how the criteria specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) will be met:    (a) 3523 September Drive, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania - Employees had exposure to hazardous chemicals, including, but not limited to, gasoline.  The employer did not develop, implement, and maintain a hazard communication program, on or about May 28, 2015.    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 shall state that employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.