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 the hazard of falling: EMPLOYEES WERE EXPOSED TO THE HAZARD OF FALLING DUE TO THE INCORRECT ASSEMBLY OF THE RIGGING OF A TWO POINT SUSPENDED SCAFFOLD. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS CONTRIBUTED TO THE FAILURE OF THE RIGGING: A.THE WEIGHTS AT THE ENDS OF EACH OUTRIGGER WERE PLACED INCORRECTLY ONTO THE ANGLE IRON. THESE WEIGHTS ARE DESIGNED TO BE INCORPORATED WITH THE ANGLE IRON. B.THERE WAS NO COMPETENT PERSON ON SITE TO DIRECTLY SUPERVISE THE RIGGING ASSEMBLY. NOTE: A COMPETENT PERSON IS ONE WHO IS CAPABLE OF IDENTIFYING EXISTING AND PREDICTABLE HAZARDS IN THE SURRROUNDING WORK AREA WHICH ARE UNSANITARY, HAZARDOUS, OR DANGEROUS TO EMPLOYEES, AND WHO HAS THE AUTHORIZATION TO TAKE PROMPT AND CORRECTIVE MEASURES TO ELIMINATE THEM. AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT METHOD TO CORRECT THIS HAZARD IS: A.USE WEIGHTS AT THE ENDS OF EACH OUTRIGGER PROPERLY PLACED ONTO THE ANGLE IRON. B.INSURE THAT A COMPETENT PERSON SUPRERVISES THE ASSEMBLY OF THE RIGGING. C.INSURE THAT THE EMPLOYEE AND COMPETENT PERSON ARE PROVIDED FORMAL TRAINING BY THE COMPANY IN THE ASSEMBLY OF RIGGING FOR SUSPENDED SCAFFOLDS.