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

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish to each of his employees 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 May 17, 2005 at a residential construction site located on State Highway 96 at Lakeview Road in Hamilton, Illinois, an employee was exposed to fall hazards while working from a platform resting on the forks of a rough terrain fork lift, because: a)The platform was approximately 8.5 feet high, the platform was not provided with guard rails and the employee was not wearing a personal fall protection system; b)The platform was not secured to the rough terrain forklift; c)The platform did not indicate the maximum work load, including personnel and equipment, or the weight of the empty platform; d)The rough terrain forklift was moved with the workers on the elevated platform; e)The rough terrain forklift operator left the vehicle unattended and the wheels were not blocked while workers were on the elevated platform. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is to block the wheels of the forklift when it is unattended; lower personnel platform and have employees dismount prior to repositioning the forklift; and obtain and use a platform in accordance with ASME B56.6-2002, American National Safety Standard for Rough Terrain Forklift Trucks.