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

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) At the coal unloaders, barge positioner berth and docks on the Monongahela River, Clairton, Pennsylvania: The employer had not established a fully effective safe job procedure to ensure that employees are not placed in the danger zone during river front coal unloading operations at the coal unloaders. Additionally, the employer had not established a written fully effective preventive maintenance program for the inspection, maintenance and repair of berth, waterway, wharf, dock, blister walls and related equipment to ensure that the barge positioner system, apparatus, winch and hauling cables do not become ensnared in and at the face of positioner blisters, dock walls and barge wing walls that are severly worn. These conditions expose bargemen to the serious hazards of hauling cables under tension and cable recoil while the bargemen are in the danger zone during up river barge changes. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is: 1. Fully develop a written safe job procedure that ensures that bargemen are not placed in the danger zone of hauling cables under tension during barge change out operations at coal unloaders. 2. Provide a two way communication system at the dock, berth and wharf of the coal unloaders to ensure full, immediate, reliable and effective voice communications which the coal unloader operator, bargemen and tow boat operator can quickly communicate the condition of the hauling ropes, position of the bargemen and status of the barge change over procedure when changing out barges. 3. Limit the need for up river barge changer by ensuring that the berth underneath the coal unloaders is of adequate depth and free from coal spoil build up to permit the normal transition of barger beneath the coal unloader to a suitable down river position for change out. 4. Fully develop a written river rescue and evacuation plan for employees who are assigned to river and dock operations which provides for training in river rescue, recovery, immediate first aid and evacuation procedures. 5. Provide for appropriate and suitable river front dock facilities to ensure immediate and safe access to the dock while permitting the administration of life saving procedures to injured employees. 6. Provide for suitable and adequate lighting at the coal unloading waterfront during night operations to ensure that all areas of the operation are illuminated. 7. Develop procedures to ensure that the employers managers are aware of fog conditions at waterfront operations which create vision and communication limitation that affect safe operations.