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

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employmnent 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 falling and impact hazards should trailers creep or be moved from the dock while employees are inside, or while employees are loading/unloading, pushing carts, and moving into and out of the trailers: a) North side of the building, dock door 20 -- a trailer was moved from the dock before the trailer door was closed and sealed, after it had left the facility, on or about 3/20/06. The employer failed to implement, communicate and enforce a definitive procedure to ensure that trailers are not removed from the dock door(s) before they are closed, sealed, and ready to be pulled from the dock. Among other methods, one feasible and accepted method to correct this hazard is to install and enforce the use of vehicle restraints which prevent trailers from pulling away from the dock before released (such as Dok-Loks); implement and enforce a lock-out procedure (such as "The Salvo Process") which will not allow air back into the trailer to release the trailer brakes, making it impossible for the trailer to be moved until released; implement and enforce a wheel chocking procedure which would assign responsibility to certain individuals (and only those individuals) to install and remove chocks, thereby preventing unintended movement and signalling to the driver that it is safe to depart; implement, communicate and enforce a procedure in which loading employees (and only loading employees) are responsible for sealing doors and signalling drivers that it is safe to depart; and/or to implement and enforce a procedure in which yard employees or contracted drivers walk to the back of the trailer to make certain the door is closed and it's safe to depart. Abatement certification and documentation required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement. Abatement documentation shall include documents demonstrating that abatement is complete, such as evidence of the purchase or repair of equipment, photographic or video evidence of abatement or other written records.