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

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: a) On or about October 27, 1989, at the Fort Randall Dam project site located near Pickstown, South Dakota, employees working on two-point suspended scaffold units were exposed to a fall hazard of 95 feet due to the misuse of the suspension cables which included improper rigging attachments, improper cable alignment, contact with sharp edges of structural members, and exposure to abrasive blassting operations. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard would be to follow the scaffolding manufacturer's operating instructions for proper rigging, including the use of that manufacturer's auxilliary rigging apparatuses designed for I-beam configurations, and the implementation of procedures necessary to isolate wire ropes from sandblasting operations and all other work practices which may deteriorate the mechanical integrity of the wire ropes.