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 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: The hazards of steel coils falling from coil cars as they are moved from the mandril to the banding area at the exit end of the 60" Electroplate Line. On or before 10/15/96, employee(s) were exposed to this hazard in that existing operating procedures did not restrict employee access to the coil car pit during the actual transfer of the coil from the mandril to the banding area via the coil car, a distance of eleven feet, four inches. Furthermore, a worker was required to go into the pit whenever an "oiled" coil was being processed due to the location of the oil roller controls. Finally, the banding work table was situated immediately behind the coil car end stop, creating the possibility of a worker being within close proximity to the car as it stopped, making him/her vulnerable to the dangers of a falling coil. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is a combination of the following steps: a. Develop an electromechanical or mechanical blocking device to hold the steel coil in position until released by the operator of the equipment. b. Develop specific procedures for the initial transfer of the coil from the mandrel to the coil car as it relates to situations where the coil is "hung up" on the mandrel. Such procedures must establish who may enter the coil car pit and the relationship of the personnel in the pit to the coil car controls to prevent the likelihood of any movement of the car which could cause the coil to fall as it is being removed from the mandrel while personnel are within close proximity to the area. Presently, existing Job Safety Analyses do not cover this circumstance. c. Include in excising procedures on removal and transfer of coils via coil car the restriction of having anyone in the coil car pit during the transfer of the coil from the mandrel to the banding area. Existing Job Safety Analysis did not include such restrictions. d. Eliminate the need for employees to enter the coil car pit to operate controls for the oiler roller by relocation of the controls. d. Post notices in the area of the coil car pit restricting access.