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

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish to each of his employees 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 crushing hazards: (a) Stone Solutions, 5871 Marion Street, Denver, CO 80216: Employees in the stone storage area located in the shop were exposed to crushing hazards during slab transport operations. During these transport operations, employees were required to tilt up slabs to the vertical balancing position. These slabs were about 1 inch thick, 70 inches wide, and 120 inches long and weighed up to 600 pounds. Employees were required to balance them vertically by hand while attaching the slab tongs. This was done while an employee was standing between the forklift and the stone slab, exposing them to severe injury or death should the slab fall. (b) The company stored 12 slabs of granite against an occupied office wall constructed of wooded 2 x 4's and sheet rock. The office wall was not designed to carry such a load. Each of the slabs were estimated to weigh between 400 to 600 pounds. Abatement Methods (i) Institute and enforce a policy in which employees are prohibited from standing in the danger or crushing zone of unstable and/or hand-supported stone slabs. (ii) The slabs should be stored on metal "A" frames that are designed to hold the weight of the material to be stored on them. (iii) The slabs may be supported with heavy duty nylon straps wrapped around the entire "A" frame rack until the slab is securely supported with the mechanical lifting device (slab tongs) Abatement Note: Abatement Certification and documentation are required for this item (see enclosed "Sample Abatement-Certification Letter").