Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 004 Hazard: ELECTRIC

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 were likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to potential hazards of electrical contact, burns, shock and/or electrocution: a) Tree removal project on Holland Road, near Newtown-Richboro Road (Route 332), Richboro, PA - Although the trees towered up, over and near 34Kv overhead lines, the employer provided an uninsulated Ford boom truck (with an 85-foot Elliott lift, Carr & Duff number 633) for employee use. This truck and lift were clearly marked with danger and caution placards ("Unlawful to operate this equipment within 10 feet of high voltage lines", "Electrocution hazard; Keep clear", "Electrocution hazard; This machine is not insulated, maintain safe clearance from electrical power lines and appliances; You must allow for platform sway, rock and sag; This aerial device does not provide protection from contact with or proximity to an electrically charged construction; Death or serious injury will result from such contact or inadequate clearance", "When boom is elevated, contact may be hazardous"). Using this equipment within this 10-foot zone exposed all employees, including those on the ground, to potential hazards of electrical contact, shock and/or electrocution, and resulted in an electrical injury on 3/23/01 when the platform came within approximately four (4) feet of the line. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is to comply with ANSI Z133.1, specifically: 4.1.1 -- Equipment and devices shall conform with the requirements of this standard and shall be properly maintained. 4.1.2 -- Employers shall instruct their employees in the proper use of all equipment provided for them and shall require that safe working practices be followed. 5.1.9 -- Ladders, platforms, and aerial devices, including insulated aerial devices, shall be subject to the working requirements in tables 1 and 2. (Table 2 requires a 10-foot minimum approach distance for persons other than qualified line-clearance tree trimmers. A "qualified line-clearance tree trimmer" is defined as "a tree worker who, through related training and on- the-job experience, is familiar with the hazards in line clearance and has demonstrated his/her ability in the performance of the special techniques involved. "Line-clearance" is defined as "the pruning, trimming or removal of trees or brush growing or existing in proximity to electrical conductors for thepurpose of preventing such growth from interfering with the facilities involved".) 6.1.1 -- All vehicles and equipment, regardless of type, should be equipped and operated in accordance with manufacturer's operating instructions. 6.1.5 -- Equipment shall be operated by qualified personnel. 6.2.1 -- Prior to the daily use of an aerial device, a visual inspection and operational check shall be made in accordance with the manufacturer's and owner's instructions. Manufacturer's instructions shall be available to the operator. A guideline for inspection should be available. 6.2.7 -- During aerial device operations, tree workers not engaged in line- clearance shall maintain a minimum clearance of 10 feet from energized conductors rated 50kV phase-to-phase or less. Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, the date and method of abatement, and state that employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.