OSHA Inspection: BERWICK ELECTRIC COMPANY

Issued

Feb 3, 2017

Abate by

Feb 23, 2017

Penalty

Initial $4,310 · Current $3,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2): The employer did not instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe condition(s) and the regulation(s) applicable to the work environment to control or eliminate any hazard(s) or other exposure to illness or injury:    (a)  On or about November 23, 2016, and at times prior, employees were exposed to struck-by, caught-in and crushing hazards when manually lifting an electrical cable weighing 10.9 pounds per linear foot.  The cable was being installed in a raceway on the outside of a building, 15 feet above grade.  To install the cable a spool of the cable was set on an electric powered tugger next to a below-grade trough 40 feet from the elevated portion.  The cable was run on rollers through the trough, and then up into the elevated raceway.  To facilitate the cable pull, the cable was placed over a sheave with a free spinning wheel, at the end of the elevated raceway.  Adjustments to the sheave required the cable to be removed from the wheel.  Employees lifted the cable in and out of the wheel manually.  During a manual move employees were exposed to the weight of more than 15 feet of cable and the dynamic forces on the cable along its entire span.  One employee suffered a broken arm when he was supporting the cable on his hand and shoulder and the cable jerked.  Workers were trained in the weight of the cable, but not in material handling methods to safely move the cable to complete required tasks.

Issued

Feb 3, 2017

Abate by

Feb 23, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1904.7(b)(3): The employer did not correctly classify work-related injuries or illnesses on the OSHA Form 300 or equivalent:    (a) On or about December 6, 2016, and at times prior, the employer did not correctly enter the following work-related injury on the 2016 OSHA Form 300 Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses:    Case 5 should have been marked in Column H, "Days Away from Work," but was marked in Column I,  "Job Transfer or Restrictions."  Abatement Note:  When making this corrections, also enter "13" in the "Away From Work (days)" column, and enter the correct number as is known for the "On Job transfer or restriction (days)" column.    Abatement Note:  Abatement certification and documentation are required for this item (see enclosed "Certification of Corrective Action Worksheet").

Issued

Feb 3, 2017

Abate by

Feb 23, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1904.29(b)(1):  A log of all recordable work-related injuries and illnesses (OSHA form 300 or equivalent) was not completed in the detail as required by the regulation:  (a)  On or about December 6, 2016, and at times prior, the OSHA 300 log for 2016 was not completed in the detail required by the regulation, in that each entered case did not include all three of the required elements in Colum (F), "Describe injury or illness, parts of body affected, and object/substance that directly injured or made the person ill."     Abatement Note:  Abatement certification and documentation are required for this item (see enclosed "Certification of Corrective Action Worksheet").