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

Title 40.1-51.1(a) Code of Virginia: At 10400 Furnace Rd., Lorton, 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 during the unloading of steel joists from a tractor trailer that the employee had driven to the worksite. a.After the employee had driven the load of steel joists to the worksite, the restraining straps were removed and two employees of L.R. Willson & Sons, Inc. mounted the load of steel joists and began the process of rigging loads of joists for a crane to lift. The trailer had vertical supports on one side that served to prevent steel joists from falling off one side of the trailer. No vertical supports were in place on the other side of the trailer. One lift had been completed, and the L.R. Willson employees were starting to rig a second set of beams to lift from the trailer, when the load shifted and caused two steel joists to fall off the side of the trailer that had no vertical supports and strike the victim. Canam Steel had a safety alert which provided the following notice: "The material on this load is unsecured. Driver is responsible for securing load prior to and during transport and un-securing load at destination. Use extreme caution when securing, un-securing, pulling on, climbing on, shaking or otherwise handling the material or standing close to the material due to risk of material shifting or falling. Shifting or falling material may cause severe injury or death." One feasible and acceptable method, among others, to correct this hazard is for the employer to modify their safety alert and train drivers to stay clear of loads on trailers which are subject to shifting while the loads are being rigged and moved by cranes or other lifting devices, which could accidentally dislodge or shift the load. Another feasible and acceptable method to correct this hazard would be for the employer to place vertical supports on both sides of flatbed trailers in such a manner that would prevent loads from falling to the ground.