Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard:

29 CFR 1910.132(d)(2): The employer shall verify that the required workplace hazard assessment has been performed through a written certification that identifies the workplace evaluated; the person certifying that the evaluation has been performed; the date(s) of the hazard assessment; and, which identifies the document as a certification of hazard assessment. The employer is failing to protect employees from fall, struck-by, and electrical shock hazards when making modifications to a communication tower aloft. This was most recently documented On or about December 9, 2017 at the jobsite located at 25056 CC Rd, Ransom, Kansas, the employer did not verify that the required workplace hazard assessment has been performed through written certification. Employees were exposed to a fall hazard of approximately 320-340 feet while installing additional steel members to the tower in advance of the planned installation of another antenna array in that the employer's safety and health program did not provide specific guidance pertaining to the following: 1. The employer's fall protection program did not specifically address the need for jobsite specific instructions related to tasks occurring at the site which required the application of personal fall protection. 2. The employer's fall protection program did not address the identification of acceptable fall arrest anchorage points when working aloft. 3. The employer's fall protection program did not address how employees were to calculate fall distances in order to ensure the use of appropriate fall arrest components. 4. The employer's fall protection program did not specifically state the requirement for 100% continuous fall protection. 5. The employer's fall protection program did not require the inspection of fall protection equipment annually and prior to use. The employer's fall protection program did not include instruction and training regarding how to conduct and document such inspections. 6. The employer's fall protection program did not require the periodic review of the program. In the Alternative: OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): 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 in that employees were exposed to fall hazards: Among other methods, some feasible and acceptable abatement methods to minimize this hazard may include, but are not limited to the following: 1. Develop, implement and enforce a Fall Protection Program that establishes criteria and requirements including policies, duties and responsibilities, training, survey and identification of fall hazards, fall protection procedures, eliminating or controlling fall hazards, rescue procedures, program implementation, incident investigation and evaluating program effectiveness as indicated in Paragraph 1.1.1 of ANSI/ASSE Z359.2-2017 (Minimum Requirements for a Comprehensive Managed Fall Protection Program). Special emphasis should be placed on the guidance pertaining to work on communications towers provided by ANSI/ASSE A10.48 - 2016 (Criteria for Safety Practices with the Construction, Demolition, Modification and maintenance of Communication Structures). 2. Develop, implement and enforce procedures that ensure employees exposed to a fall from height are trained, equipped and properly utilizing their fall protection as indicated in Paragraph 6.4.3a of ANSI/ASSE A10.48 - 2016 (Criteria for Safety Practices with the Construction, Demolition, Modification and maintenance of Communication Structures). 3. Ensure that site specific fall protection hazard assessments are performed as indicated in Paragraph 4.4 and documented as indicated in Paragraph 6.4.3c of ANSI/ASSE A10.48 - 2016 (Criteria for Safety Practices with the Construction, Demolition, Modification and maintenance of Communication Structures). 4. Ensure that specific written fall protection procedures select the fall protection systems, including anchorage locations, connecting means, body supports and other fall protection equipment as indicated in Paragraph 4.4.6 and review these procedures as indicated in Paragraph 4.4.5 of ANSI/ASSE Z359.2-2017 (Minimum Requirements for a Comprehensive Managed Fall Protection Program). 5. Ensure that a documented fall protection plan is communicated to all applicable individuals on site where employees are exposed to a fall from height as indicated in Paragraph 6.4.3e of ANSI/ASSE A10.48 - 2016 (Criteria for Safety Practices with the Construction, Demolition, Modification and maintenance of Communication Structures). 6. Ensure that a Pre-Job Survey Form and/or a Job Hazard Analysis is/are completed as indicated in Appendix A-4(a) and Appendix A-5(a) of ANSI/ASSE A10.48 - 2016 (Criteria for Safety Practices with the Construction, Demolition, Modification and maintenance of Communication Structures).