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

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act pf 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: painters painting the underside of a four-lane highway bridge were exposed to electric burns, electric shock and electrocution, and to massive traumatic injuries or drowning from falls of up to 70 feet onto railroad tracks and trestles, concrete piers, and to the river and river banks below caused by electric shock while working on bridge bents, ladders and narrow unguardrailed aluminum scaffold stages resting on wire rope bearers stretched parallel to and beneath the steel bridge girders and crossing and crossing directly above and within 15 feet or less of three 7200- volt (to ground) and 12,000-volt (phase-to-phase) uninsulated and fully energized electric conductor cables. A feasible method to abate these hazards must include but is not limited to the following essentials: 1) Prior to starting work on any part of the bridge which crosses above or close enough to such conductors that wire ropes, scaffolds or scaffold parts, ladders, or any other conductive or potentially conductive tools, supplies, materials or equipment could touch such conductors, the electric utility shall be contacted and that work shall not begin until the electric utility has either de-energized and effectively grounded the three conductors on both sides of any potential contact area or blanketed, insulated or otherwise effectively shielded them from all possible contact. 2) Prior to dismantling or removing wire ropes, scaffolds, scaffold part ladders, or any other conductive or potentially conductive tools supplies, materials, or equipment, to assure that the protection provided is still effective and that accidental contact during such operations will not result in ground faults or short circuits.