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 the hazard of falling to a lower level when working from the elevated bucket of a backhoe: On or about March 10, 2004, at the north end of the building an employee was observed working without fall protection from the bucket of a Model 416B Caterpillar backhoe with front bucket elevated approximately 18 feet above the ground. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to correct this hazard is to train employees in the proper use of equipment and not allow them to use the front or rear buckets as a work platform, and require employees to use appropriate equipment such as but not limited to ladders, scaffold systems, and aerial lifts to elevate employees to the required work level.