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: a)During the salvage of the fishing vessel "New Horizon," aboard the Derrick Barge "Long Beach," one-mile offshore of Ventura, California on January 6, 2005, the fishing vessel and the derrick barge collided, crushing a diver between them. There was no strength member or safety line included in the umbilical assembly, exposing the diver to hazards should the diver need to be pulled up in an emergency. Fred Devine Diving and Salvage was the Salvage Master for the operation and employer of an exposed diver. ABATEMENT NOTE: Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is to follow the Association of Diving Contractors International's Consensus Standard for Commercial Diving and Underwater Operations Standard 5.4.3, paragraph four which requires that "diver umbilicals and dive hose assemblies shall consist of a breathing gas hose, communications cable, a means of determining the divers depth, and an included strength member."