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 employmnent 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 cooling tower structural framework: The employer failed to have available on site and follow plans and procedures that had been established to brace the framework of a cooling tower during the assembly of the structual members of the tower wherein the potential for failure of the continued integrity of the framework was recognized as being possible from known or predictable wind and wind gusts. The potential for a falling tower structural framework was demonstrated by the following instance: On or about 6/14/00, the structure of a cooling tower being erected was not properly braced according to the established plan and procedures and the structure collapsed due to a gust of wind. The end braces (struts) had been connected to the top of a conex box instead of the pad- eye type base plates imbedded in the concrete base of the structure, and had not been braced to prevent the braces from buckling at points along the length of the braces (struts) as specified in the established plans and procedures. Among other methods, recognized means of abatement include, but are not limited to: 1) Determine the possible wind load for prevailing and possible wind gusts conditions and install interim temporary braces to withstand the maximum forces predicted from the wind analysis. 2) Make available on site and follow the establised erection plan made by the company.