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: a.At the site where an oil well was being re-opened, the employer did not ensure proper anchorage of the rig guy wires following changes in weather conditions, i.e. frozen to thawed ground and steady rainfall thereby exposing employees to a struck-by hazard. On or about December 16, 2000, two employees who perform work off the rig floor and racking board were severely injured when the rig toppled. b.Among other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct these hazards include, but are not limited to, the following: a.Follow the rig manufacturer's instruction manual for requirement on guying, guylines, and anchorage. b.Ensure that the (in-house-fabricated) anchors conform to accepted engineering practices. c.Establish test protocols and holding capacity of (in-house-fabricated) anchors based on soil type and weather conditions. d.Establish written procedures for installation of (in-house-fabricated) anchors based on proof testing for structural integrity and holding capacity.