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

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 struck by hazards created when the employer improperly modified a lifting device: Staging Area - A make shift hoisting device located on the roof of a building was used to lower containers of construction debris from the building's upper floors. The employer made structural modifications to the hoist arm which seriously compromised its lifting capacity and contributed to the entire hoisting device falling off the building's roof. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable mean of abatement would be for the employer, before making modifications to a lifting device, to contact the manufacturer of the lifting device, a professional engineer, or a qualified person competent in the appropriate field to determine if the altered equipment could be safely used.