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

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: Worksite- On/About March 4,2003, The employee who was helping the other employee was in the process of cutting a tree using a portable hand-held chain saw, was exposed to the hazard, of coming into contact with the chain saw due to the following deficiences: 1. THE EMPLOYEE PLACED ONE OF HIS HANDS BY THE TREE WHILE STANDING TOO CLOSE TO THE OPERATING SAW. 2. THE EMPLOYEE WAS NOT WEARING APPROPRIATE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. 3. APPROPRIATE TOOL(S) WERE NOT BEING UTILIZED. CONSEQUENTLY, THE EMPLOYEE SUSTAINED SEVERE CUTS ONTO HIS HAND. ABATEMENT NOTES: AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE METHOD TO CORRECT THE HAZARD IS TO: 1. DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A WRITTEN STANDARD SAFE TREE CUTTING PROCEDURE UTILIZING PORTABLE HAND-HELD CHAIN SAWS FROM THE GROUND. 2. TRAIN AND INSTRUCT EMPLOYEES ON THE ABOVE PROCEDURES. 3. FOLLOW ANSI/SIA Z133.1-1994 PARAGRAPH 7.2.4 STATES: THE ENGINE SHALL BE STARTED AND OPERATED ONLY WHEN ALL CO-WORKERS ARE CLEAR OF THE SAW. ABATEMENT VERIFICATION IS REQUIRED AS OUTLINED IN PART 29 CFR 1903.19