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

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 hazards of falls and being struck by materials in that: a. On May 10, 1993 at the Broadway Bridge, the sudden and unexpected uplift of the leaf, while removing and replacing steel roadway gratings and supporting steel beams on the leaf of a movable bascule bridge from which the machinery had been removed, and which therefore could not be locked in the down position, exposed employees to hazards of falls and being struck by materials. The leaf was held in the closed position only by maintaining balance on the trunnions, and a single wire rope attached from the rear of the counterweight to an uplift beam. Among other methods, two feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct this hazard while such operations are in progress are (1) to retain the machinery in place, if contract time permits, so the leaf can be locked down, or (2) to develop and implement an engineered plan of removal and replacement which insures the maintenance of balance.