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 and/or caught between hazards when operating a Case brand 1845C model skid steer loader, P.I.N. JAF0197852: a) Quickway Transfer Station - On March 31, 2005 the skid steer loader was operated with a nonfunctional interlock safety control in that the seat bar safety device was broken (i.e. the air cylinder strut supporting the bar in the raised or interlock engaged position) was broken off the point of attachment on the seat bar) and not engaged. This condition allowed the operator to actuate the hydraulic controls while outside of the operator's seat. The operator was working alone and was found fatally crushed between the lift arms and the front of the skid steer with the engine running. The lift arms were in a raised position with the bucket in contact and supporting a concrete barrier. b) Quickway Transfer Station - Employee operators were not provided with formal training on the safe operation of the skid steer. Specifically, operators were never provided with or trained in the contents of the operators manual for the skid steer loader and did not perform and/or did not know to perform, as required by the manual, a seat bar safety test for correct operation each time before exiting the machine. Operator's were not aware of the seat bar lock or that the seat bar lock was an alternate/secondary mechanism for keeping the seat bar in the raised position, thus engaging the safety interlock system, should the primary air cylinder strut fail. c) Quickway Transfer Station - The horn on the skid steer loader was inoperable thus creating a potential hazard of striking a pedestrian or vehicle by not being able to give warning. d) Quickway Transfer Station - The seat belt was not functional creating the potential of being thrown out of and/or crushed by the machine. The skid steer was equipped with a Roll-Over-Protective System (ROPS), P.I.N.JAF0229802. The ROPS system is only functional when the machine operator is restrained within the operator's cab with the seat belt on. The seat belt can also prevent the operator from leaning or being jostled into the operating zone of the lift arms and bucket. e) Quickway Transfer Station - The skid steer loader was not taken out-of-service when one or more of the following unsafe operating conditions existed: inoperable horn, non functional seat belt, and the parking brake did not engage when the seat bar safety interlock was engaged or placed in the completely raised position. ABATEMENT NOTE: AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE METHOD TO CORRECT THESE HAZARDS IS TO: ENSURE THAT ALL SAFETY ITEMS SUCH AS THE SEAT BAR, HORN, SEAT BELT ARE OPERATIONAL, AND TRAIN EMPLOYEE OPERATORS TO FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS ON THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE MACHINE AS SPECIFIED IN THE OPERATORS MANUAL AND NIOSHPUBLICATION No. 98-117, PREVENTING INJURIES AND DEATHS FROM SKID STEER LOADERS. NOTE: ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION REQUIREDATION