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

North Carolina General Statute 95-129(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of North Carolina: The employer did not furnish to each of his employees conditions of employment and a place of employment free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees, in that employees were exposed to falls: a)Employer failed to provide an adequate safety railing to protect migrant farm workers from falls of ten feet or higher. Migrant farm workers were assigned to construct boxes on the top working surface floor of the mule train approximately seven feet from the bottom working surface floor and ten feet from the ground surface. Workers were assigned to stoop, lean or bend over and construct the boxes while the mule train was moving forward through the field. The railing provided on the top working surface floor was substandard as it was constructed without an adequate intermediate railing. [Reference 29 CFR 1910.23(e)(1)]. 1.Among other methods one feasible and acceptable method of abatement is to construct a standard railing on all mule trains used by the employer including a top railing, intermediate railing, and posts, constructed to prevent falls of migrant farm workers engaged in box construction on the top working surface floor of the mule train.