Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 002 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 the condition(s) listed below: a) On or about November 30, 1996, employees climbed on top of the molasses and tallow tanks to gain access to the interior of these tanks through hatches on top of these tanks. They were thus exposed to the hazards of falling from a height of up to fifteen feet, including but not limited to: contusions, concussion, broken bones, and death. Among other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct this hazard include: 1) the installation of standard railings along the edges of elevated surfaces and platforms on which employees work; 2) the use of fall protection harnesses and lifelines by employees while working on elevated surfaces and platforms.