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 fall hazards inherent to the window cleaning industry: Location: 440 Park Avenue South, New York, N.Y. On or about March 30, 2001 An employee was observed cleaning windows on the 6th floor of a 16 story building, while standing on a wet/slippery window sill/ledge, in order to clean the outside of the windows without using any means of fall protection. The employee was exposed to a fall of approximately 78 feet to the concrete sidewalk below. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to correct this hazard is to establish, enforce and comply with the Safety Requirements for Window Cleaning stipulated by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) - ASME A39.1-1991. Methods of acceptable safe procedures for window cleaning are, but not limited to, the following: 1.Train and supervise employees in the proper use of all equipment used, to ensure safe work practices are observed. 2.Instruct and require window cleaners to clean windows from inside the building without extending more than one arm beyond the window sash. 3.Require the use of fall protection (such as a body harness, lanyard, lifeline and/or window cleaners belts and anchors), if cleaning from the inside of the building is not feasible.