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

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 crushing hazards due to being struck by collapsing racks and/or products: (a) Supervalu general product warehouse: On or about December 11 and 12, 2003 employees were placing and removing products from the steel rack assemblies which were not equipped with one or more permanent placard indicating the maximum permissible unit load, placed in one or more conspicuous location. (b) Supervalu general product warehouse: On or about December 11 and 12, 2003 employees were placing and removing products from the steel rack assemblies that had been modified by adding two additional tiers, had loose or missing bolts and hardware, had welding/cutting operations performed on them and no load configuration drawings were performed, retained and available by an inspecting body. (c) Supervalu general product warehouse: On or about December 11 and 12, 2003 employees were placing and removing products from the steel racks, ranging in height from four to six tiers above the floor and the anchor bolts were either loose or missing the nuts. The racks were thereby not properly anchored to the floor. On December 8, 2003 an approximately 100 foot section of racking and products collapsed. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable means to correct these hazards is to comply with the requirements outlined in the American National Standards Institute, ANSI MH16.1, "Specification for the Design, Testing, and Utilization of Industrial Steel Storage Racks."