Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: STRUCK BY

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: On or about the morning of 7/10/03 employees walking, working, and / or operating a powered industrial truck in the area beneath the 414 crane, while maintenance work was being done on the crane, were exposed to the hazard of being struck by falling objects such as, but not limited to, tools and equipment being used by maintenance employees working overhead. Employees were exposed to hazards beneath the crane due to being unaware, or uninformed, that work overhead had begun. Employees were further exposed to being struck by the falling load block and hook of the crane's auxiliary hoist in the event of "two blocking" or other hoist failure. Employees were exposed to the "two block" condition in the event of failure of the crane's upper travel limit switch during hoist operation, or in the event of the hoist being operated with the upper travel limit switch being over-ridden. Among others, feasible and acceptable means to correct this hazard would be: A) To establish procedures that would ensure that employees walking and working on the floor area beneath overhead cranes that are being worked on, are notified that the work overhead has begun, and are kept clear. B) To establish procedures that would minimize the potential of "two blocking" the hoist when testing the function of the upper travel limit switch on crane hoists (such as the auxiliary hoist on the 414 crane) where the crane operator can not readily see when the hoist contacts its hoist limit actuating bar. Procedures such as, but not limited to, the use of a second employee outside the crane cab to observe and alert the crane operator that the hoist is contacting the limit switch bar, rather than (as was the case on the auxiliary hoist of the 414 crane) an alarm that sounded only after the limit switch had operated, and the hoist was then being lowered back out of the upper limit. C) To establish procedures that will ensure; under maintenance or servicing conditions requiring the bypassing of upper travel limit switches, that all employees involved in the work including the crane operator and employees working beneath the crane, are initially made aware that the work will involve bypassing the limit switch. Procedures would then need to ensure that the employees are later notified that the limit switch has been bypassed, and finaly, that they are kept clear while the crane is operated in this condition.