Text For Citation: 02 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: The hazard of being crushed between hydraulically operated dock plates weighting approximately 1000 pounds and the rear doors of semi-trailers or building doors due to the unintended and unexpected lowering of the dock plates. On or about December 1, 1990, an employee who was standing between the dock plate and the rear door of a semi-trailer at loading dock door No. 93 in the cold storage warehouse was caught between the dock plate and the trailer door when the dock plate unexpectedly lowered. Among other methods, some feasible and acceptable methods to correct this condition are: 1) to equip each hydraulic plate with 2 way cylinder and solenoid to require a positive action from the operator to raise or lower the plate or; 2) to equip each unit with a secondary and more positive means of supporting the plate while it is in any position other than horizontal or; 3) to install guardrails along both sides of each dock plate area to prevent entry of any person while the dock plate is in anything other than the horizontal position and 4) training, of all employees involved in the use of the dockplates, in the ssystem, hazards and safe operation and use of the device.