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

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 being struck by mobile trash collecting and compacting vehicles such as rear loading trash trucks and/or moving parts installed thereon, in that the employer did not, in accordance with American National Standards Institute Z 245.1-1992, properly maintain mobile equipment to meet all applicable regulatory standards and did not ensure the following were met: (a) providing for instruction and training of employees in safe methods of work before assigning them to operate, clean, service, maintain, or repair the equipment: 1) Temporary labor employees did not receive training prior to route assignment. Among other feasible and useful methods of abatement for this hazard, one method of abatement would be to familiarize temporary employees with the manufacturer's operating manuals and employer's safety program, rather than relying on drivers to instruct them on the route when they often did not speak the same language. (b) monitoring the employee's operation of the equipment and taking appropriate action to ensure proper use of the equipment, including adherence to safe practices: (1) Route observations conducted were not effective in that unsafe acts and route conditions such as, but not limited to the following, were not detected and corrected: (A) foraging through trash in the dump body. (B) routinely backing down streets such as 303 N. Rusk, Cameron Texas. (C) routinely backing down narrow alleyways and within 10 feet of hanging wires of undetermined voltage such as 9th Street in Georgetown, Texas. (D) riding the back steps while the equipment is in reverse. (E) employees manually disconnecting back-up alarms on truck numbers 356 and 340. (F) worn "safety" signs on rear-loaders were not replaced. For example, signs stating: "DANGER - STAND CLEAR WHEN PACKER PANEL IS IN MOTION", required to be located on the rear of thepacker panel, were damaged or missing from truck numbers 356, 326, 340 and 355. (G) bent rear steps on truck number 356 were not repaired prior to 3/2/98. Among other feasible and useful methods to correct this hazard, one method would be to strengthen the route observation program through increasing the frequency of observations, targeting stops where the potential for backing is more likely, remediating hazardous route stops, strictly enforcing the safety and truck maintenance rules, and promptly addressing any safety concerns voiced by employees. (c) repairing, prior to placing equipment into service, any mechanical malfunction or breakdown that affects the safe operation of the equipment, such as: 1) On or about 12/15/97 truck number 340 was kept in service while awaiting parts for a broken back-up alarm. (d) ensuring that all riding steps were constructed and maintained in accordance with American National Standards Institute Z245.1 -1992, Paragraphs 7.1.10 and 7.2.2.4. 1) for example, riding steps on truck number 356 were installed at 25.5 inches (64.1 cm) to the ground, exposing employees to falls while mounting and dismounting. Among other feasible and useful abatement methods to correct these hazards, one method would be to replace existing steps with steps which meet the A.N.S.I. Z245.1 1992 design specifications in Paragraghs 7.1.10 and 7.2.2.4 as follows: (a) have a slip-resistant surface and be self-cleaning; (b) be capable of supporting 500 pounds at the point furthest from its point of attachment; (c) be mounted no more than 24 inches (60.96 cm) above the road surface; (d) have a depth of at least eight inches (20.3 cm) and provide a minimum of 220 square inches (558.8 square cm) of surface area; (e) be located behind the rearmost axle of the vehicle, extend no more than eight inches beyond the vertical plane that intersects that rearmost structural portion of the truck or hopper, and extend no more than eight inches (20.3 cm) inboard of the inside edge of the hopper opening as illustrated in figure 11 of the A.N.S.I. standard.