OSHA Inspection: SULLIVAN LAWN SERVICES, LLC

Issued

Apr 26, 2021

Abate by

Jun 11, 2021

Penalty

Initial $9,557 · Current $7,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  OSH ACT 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 from struck-by hazards of moving vehicles:    A private residence located at 168 Niantic River Road, Waterford, CT: On or about November 16, 2020, employees at the Waterford, CT landscaping project were exposed to struck-by hazards from vehicular traffic on a two lane roadway with no shoulders, and a 30 mph speed limit. Each lane was approximately 14 feet 6 inches wide, from the double center lines to the curb. Two employees were assigned various landscaping tasks, including trimming a homeowner's bushes which abutted the roadway, and which required them to stand in the southbound lane of oncoming traffic to do so. They then picked up and placed the trimmed debris in one of two wheel barrows, also in the roadway. Both employees were wearing regular street clothing, and motor vehicle operators were given no advance warning that the employees were working in the roadway. A vehicle traveling in the southbound lane hit one of the wheelbarrows and then one of the employees, sending him flying many feet resulting in a fatality.