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

Section 5(a)(1) of Public Law 91-596, 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: Hazard of falls. . The following defects were observed on scaffold system: (a) The scaffolding clamps were not designed by a qualified person. (b) After fabrication and prior to the use, no testing of scaffolding clamps took place. (c) The scaffolding system as used on site was not designed by a qualified person. (d) Information relative to the maximum loads which could be placed on the scaffold or its components was not provided by the erector to the user. (e) Inspections of the scaffold by a competent person to determine if overloading had or was taking place, were not conducted on a regular or periodic basis. (f) Employees working on the scaffold were not trained to recognize when the maximum intended loads have been achieved and the load carrying capacities of the scaffold. (g) Because of the size of the scaffold system, its height above the water and the fact it was not suspended or supported but attached to the drilling platform by field engineered clamps, the scaffold system should have been certified by a qualified professional engineer. One feasible and acceptable method to abate this condition would be to have the scaffold and its components designed and tested by a qualified engineer with a written report available for review by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.Xryy&