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: A. The hazards of falling approximately 6 feet through a conveyor chute opening to another moving conveyor and steel rollers below where there was no cover or standard guardrail provided at the chute opening. The opening was adjacent to walkways in use and was approximately 20 inches by 43 inches. The three sides where the conveyor belt did not enter had a sheet metal frame in place. The two short ends had sheet metal extending up approximately 27 1/2 inches above the flooring and on the longer North side, sheet metal extended approximately 18 1/2 inches above the flooring. B. The hazards of falling on to the moving upper conveyor existed when the conveyor was crossed or ridden to access and egress machinery in use out over the reactors. A fall from the upper conveyor, through the chute, to the lower conveyor was in excess of 7 feet. The conveyors both moved approximately 4.2 feet per second and were at right angles to each other. The conveyor was provided an emergency stop pull cord that was difficult to reach when on the approximately 32 inch wide conveyor belt in that the belt sloped up approximately 14 inches on the sides and the cable was approximately 16 inches below the upper edge of the belt. To access the cable from the belt required one to reach through adjacent rail support brackets which would deflect an arm attempting to reach the cable. The Reactor area conveyor belt was not provided other stop buttons, bars or interlocks to protect a person on the moving belt. The chute opening was not provided grating or conspicuously posted warning signs. Methods of abatement may include, but are not limited to, the use of ANSI B20.1-1997 Section 5 GENERAL SAFETY STANDARDS: 5.9.1.4 Maintenance of Guards and Safety Devices which requires "Guards and safety devices shall be maintained in a serviceable and operational condition." Section 5.11.2 (c) Controls which requires remotely and automatically controlled conveyors be furnished with emergency stop devices such as emergency stop buttons, pull cords, limit switches or similar emergency stop device easily identifiable in the immediate vicinity of the conveyor path. Section 5.12 Operation (d) which prohibits persons from riding on conveyors except on slow moving assembly conveyors that travel 80 feet per minute maximum or the conveyor incorporates a station specifically designed for operating personnel. and (h) "Routine inspections and corrective maintenance measures shall be conducted to ensure that all guards and safety features are retained and function properly" 5.14 Hoppers and Chutes requires : "All openings to hoppers and chutes shall be guarded to prevent personnel from accidentally stepping into them or allowing any part of their body to make contact with conveyors below them." Where not practical, substantial grating with openings no larger than 2 inches and or warning signs conspicuously posted are required. Section 6 SPECIFIC SAFETY STANDARDS: 6.1.2 (c) Belt Conveyors - fixed in Place - Operation and Maintenance which permits the use of portable emergency stop controllers in lieu of permanently installed pull cords for maintenance personnel who patrol overland conveyors. OR,IN THE ALTERNATIVE: 29 CFR 1910.22(c): Covers and or guardrails were not provided to protect personnel from the hazards of open pits, tanks, vats ditches, etc.: In the reactor transfer car area, the employer did not ensure that conveyor chute opening approximately 20 inches by 43 inches at floor level in a walkway area was provided a cover or standard guardrail system. Sheet metal/plate metal existed up to approximately 18 1/2 inches on one side of the opening and 27 1/2 inches on the short ends.