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 being crushed: a) The employer did not protect employees from the recognized hazards of being struck by and caught between crane loads. In the production area where employees were using jib cranes to lift large valve parts, varying in weight from a couple hundred pounds to several thousand pounds. The cranes that were being used did not have load rating markings. The main production area is used to manufacture, machine and assemble oil field valves. The cranes were not labeled with the load capacities, and no load test documentation was available to determine the load capacity of the jib cranes being used in the facility among other methods of abatement, one feasible and acceptable method to correct this hazard is to complete load testing on all cranes and hoists, and label the cranes and hoists with the load capacity. (ANSI B30.11 section 11- 1.1.1) b) The employer did not protect employees from the recognized hazards of being struck by and crushed while operating Jib Cranes. Each control element was not clearly marked to indicate the direction of resultant motion. The pendants did not have any legible markings to indicate the direction of travel. Among other methods of abatement, one feasible and accepted method to correct this hazard is to replace the control pendant or label the pendants with the direction of travel. (ANSI B30.11 section 11-1.11.3) c) The employer did not implement a frequent inspection program to inspect cranes on a daily to monthly interval. The employer did not have a program in place to inspect the cranes to ensure the operating mechanisms are functioning properly. Among other methods of abatement, one feasible and accepted method to correct this hazard is to implement a frequent inspection program to identify malfunctioning operating mechanisms, excessive wear of components, all hoist and limit switches, deterioration or leakage of lines, tanks, valves, drain pumps or other parts of air or hydraulic systems. (ANSI B30.11 section 11-2.1.2 and section 11-2.3.3) d) The employer did not correct unsafe conditions disclosed during the periodic inspection before further use. The inspection identified both safety hazards and production critical components that were not corrected or addressed by the employer. An example of some of the items identified are as follows: hoist connection needs repair or replacement, holding brake needs adjusting, bottom block assembly needs replacement or repair, hook and latch needs replacing, control enclosure needs repair, mast needs repair, etc. Among other methods of abatement, one feasible and accepted method to correct this hazard is to repair the cranes. (ANSI B30.11 section 11- 2.1.2 and section 11-2.3.3) e) Employees were exposed to crushing injuries in an unexpected roll over of the Hyster Model fork lifts while moving a valve and valve parts. Employees were observed not using the installed seatbelts when rollover protection was present on the forklifts. (ANSI B56.1-1993, Part II, Paragraph 5.3.19), Among other methods of abatement, one feasible and acceptable method to correct this hazard is to require that all employees wear seatbelts during forklift operations.