Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: CRUSHING

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 crushing injuries while standing and/or working in the loading dock area while motor vehicles such as but not limited to tractor trailers operating/traveling in the reverse gear: On or About February 13, 2004, the warehouse manager standing or working near the non-operational, fixed loading dock plate was crushed against the dock plate when a Freightliner tractor with a 53 foot enclosed trailer attached was operating in the reverse gear, moving in a northerly direction towards the north wall of the loading dock where the fixed loading dock plate was located. Consequently, the warehouse manager sustained multiple, life threatening injuries due to being pinned between the fixed dock plate and the back end of the 53 foot long trailer. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct this hazard is to prevent employee access to the loading dock area while motor vehicle are operating in the loading dock.