Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 002 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 the hazard of being pulled into and crushed by the rotating parts of a pipe threading machine. In the workplace, at locations and equipment identified, on or about 02-22-99, pipe threading machines were activated by a manually operated on/off switch that would not automatically shut the machine off should the operator be inadvertently caught in the machine. a)Iron Foundry, Machine shop, adjacent to welding area, secured area, rigid pipe threading machine. b)Bldg #50, Compressor Room, Oster pipe threading machine. Among other methods, one feasible method to reduce the hazard is to install a momentary contact device (deadman foot switch) to control power input to the machine. The device would automatically stop the machine and the rotating parts if the operators foot was removed from the switch for any reason. The foot switch must be provided with a protective cover as described in 29 CFR 1910.217(b)(4).