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

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): 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 struck-by hazards as a result of unbalanced potential energy of overhead door torsion springs: (a)Kramp Enterprises, Inc. at 38989 147th Street, Warner, SD 57479: On or about and at times prior to February 20, 2020, the employer did not ensure employees were protected from struck-by hazards associated with the release of unbalanced potential energy of garage door torsion springs during repair, maintenance, and/or alteration of the garage door counterbalance system. On February 20, 2020, an employee was struck-by a J-hook causing him to fall approximately 15 feet from a personnel platform while performing repairs and alterations to a 24-foot 2 inch wide and 18-foot tall commercial garage door. The work involved removing and replacing nine existing three-inch door panel struts (weighing approximately 25.4 lbs. each) to include torsion springs. Employees removed eight of the nine door panel struts working from the bottom of the door to the top. While removing the final door panel strut and door arm brackets (J-hook), employees released the two emergency release hand pulls. As a result, the unbalanced door quickly lurched upwards due to the release of energy related to the torsion springs after removal of all of the three-inch door panel struts. The door arm bracket caught an employee pulling him over the back guardrail of a personnel platform that was supported by a CAT TH103 telehandler. The employee fell approximately 15 feet to the concrete floor suffering a fractured vertebrae. This condition exposed employees to struck-by hazards as a result of unbalanced potential energy of garage door torsion springs during repair and alteration of a commercial garage door. Abatement Note: Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to control this hazard is prior to performing maintenance, repair, and/or alteration of any component of the counterbalance system or equipment that may affect the performance of the counterbalance system, the torsion springs shall be unwound to remove any related potential energy.