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 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 multiple broken bones and/or death from a serious fall while being elevated on platforms on the forks of the Mitsubishi fork truck. Work platforms used on forklift trucks did not meet the design, construction and use requirements of the American National Standards/Industrial Truck Standards Development Foundation (ANSI/ITSDF) Safety Standard for Low Lift and High Lift Trucks, ANSI/ITSDF B56.1-2005; Section 4.17.2(c): Whenever a truck is used to elevate personnel, the following precautions for the protection of personnel shall be taken: Be certain that required restraining means such as railings, chains, cable, body belt(s) with lanyard(s), or deceleration devices etc., are in place and properly used. a) On or about 02/05/2008, employees were lifted up on the Big Joe platform mounted on the forks of the Mitsubishi forklift, approximately 17-feet high, in order to access the steel awning above the garden center entrance to remove snow and ice. The platform on the forks of the Mitsubishi forklift truck did not conform with the American National Standard ITSDF B56.1- 2005, Safety Standard for Low and High Lift Trucks, section 4.17.2(c), in that there were no guardrails, or other means of fall restraint provided or used. b) On or about 02/06/2008, employees were lifted up with a parts cage as platform mounted on the forks of the Mitsubishi forklift, approximately 17-feet high, in order to access the steel awning above the garden center entrance to remove snow and ice. The platform on the forks of the Mitsubishi forklift truck did not conform with the American National Standard ITSDF B56.1-2005, Safety Standard for Low and High Lift Trucks, section 4.17.2(c), in that there were no adequate guardrails, or other adequate means of fall restraint provided or used. c) On or about 02/07/2008, employees were lifted up with a parts cage as platform mounted on the forks of the Mitsubishi forklift, approximately 17-feet high, in order to access the steel awning above the garden center entrance to remove snow and ice. The platform on the forks of the Mitsubishi forklift truck did not conform with the American National Standard ITSDF B56.1-2005, Safety Standard for Low and High Lift Trucks, section 4.17.2(c), in that there were no adequate guardrails, or other adequate means of fall restraint provided or used. d) On or about 02/11/2008, employees were lifted up with a parts cage as platform mounted on the forks of the Mitsubishi forklift, approximately 17-feet high, in order to access the steel awning above the garden center entrance to remove snow and ice. The platform on the forks of the Mitsubishi forklift truck did not conform with the American National Standard ITSDF B56.1-2005, Safety Standard for Low and High Lift Trucks, section 4.17.2(c), in that there were no adequate guardrails, or other adequate means of fall restraint provided or used. e) On or about 02/12/2008, employees were lifted up on the Big Joe platform mounted on the forks of the Mitsubishi forklift, approximately 17-feet high, in order to access the steel awning above the garden center entrance to remove snow and ice. The platform on the forks of the Mitsubishi forklift truck did not conform with the American National Standard ITSDF B56.1- 2005, Safety Standard for Low and High Lift Trucks, section 4.17.2(c), in that there were no guardrails, or other means of fall restraint provided or used. f) On or about 02/13/2008, employees were lifted up with a parts cage as platform mounted on the forks of the Mitsubishi forklift, approximately 17-feet high, in order to access the steel awning above the garden center entrance to remove snow and ice. The platform on the forks of the Mitsubishi forklift truck did not conform with the American National Standard ITSDF B56.1-2005, Safety Standard for Low and High Lift Trucks, section 4.17.2(c), in that there were no adequate guardrails, or other adequate means of fall restraint provided or used. Among other methods, feasible and acceptable means to correct this hazard would be to: follow the guidelines listed in ITSDF B56.1-2005, use a device that has been designed to lift personnel with an approved work platform or use a ladder placed securely for employees to access the awning or roof, and ensure that the Mitsubishi Fork Lift Truck is used only to retrieve and lower materials. Abatement Certification and Documentation is required.