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) Falling from wood roof trusses during the erection process in the event of the trusses collapsing, due to lack of a temporary bracing plan designed by a registered professional engineer, and by placing a concentrated load consisting of two bundles of plywood on the trusses, on or about 9/9/94. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to abate this hazard is to follow HIB-91, Commentary and Recommendations for Handling, Installing & Bracing Metal Plate Connected Wood Trusses, which requires a bracing plan designed by a registered professional engineer for trusses with a span over 60 feet, and which recommends against placing heavy construction loads, such as stacks of plywood, on trusses before they are properly braced, and then only when broken into small units, located over bearing walls, and installed as soon as possible.