Text For Citation: 02 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 fall hazards of up to sixteen (16) feet when they were lifted in boxes on the forks of forklift trucks to perform order picking activities: a) Main Warehouse -- an employee was fatally injured on 3/24/97 when, during the course of picking doors, he fell ten (10) feet to the concrete floor from an unsecured, inadequately guarded box which was lifted on the forks of a Toyota lift truck (company number 16). AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT METHOD TO CORRECT THIS HAZARD IS COMPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING: A. USE A PLATFORM WHICH SHALL: 1. BE SUFFICIENTLY STRONG TO SUPPORT ANY LOAD(S) WHICH MAY BE IMPOSED ON IT, 2. BE SECURELY ATTACHED TO THE LIFTING CARRIAGE OR FORKS, WHICH SHALL BE SECURED SO THEY DO NOT PIVOT UPWARD, 3. BE DESIGNED SO THAT EMPLOYEES WILL NOT BE EXPOSED TO AN INGOING NIP POINT, WHICH CAN BE CREATED BETWEEN THE REAR OF THE PLATFORM AND THE STRUCTURE OF THE POWERED INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, AS A PLATFORM IS RAISED AND LOWERED, 4. BE DESIGNED SO THAT PERSONNEL ON THE PLATFORM ARE PROTECTED FROM MOVING PARTS OF THE TRUCK, 5. BE HORIZONTAL AND CENTERED AND NOT TILTED FORWARD OR REARWARD WHEN ELEVATED, 6. BE MOVED IN A SMOOTH STEADY FASHION WHEN PERSONNEL ARE ON IT, 7. BE MOVED ONLY WHEN THE PERSONNEL ON IT SPECIFICALLY REQUEST THAT IT BE MOVED, 8. BE MOVED AFTER IT HAS BEEN ELEVATED, WHEN THERE ARE PERSONNEL ON IT, ONLY WHEN THERE IS A NEED FOR MINOR HORIZONTAL ADJUSTMENTS, 9. BE PROVIDED WITH A FALL PROTECTION SYSTEM IF IT IS ELEVATED MORE THAN FOUR FEET ABOVE THE WALKING/WORKING SURFACE OR IS ABOVE OR ADJACENT TO DANGEROUS EQUIPMENT. IF A GUARDRAIL SYSTEM IS USED, IT SHALL: A. CONSIST OF A TOPRAIL, APPROXIMATELY 42 INCHES IN HEIGHT, A MIDRAIL APPROXIMATELY 21 INCHES IN HEIGHT, AND A TOEBOARD IF OPERATING CONDITIONS NECESSITATE SUCH EQUIPMENT, B. BE PROVIDED WITH A TOPRAIL, WHICH WILL NOT DEFLECT TO LESS THAN 39 INCHES ABOVE THE PLATFORM, WHEN A 200 POUND FORCE IS IMPOSED ON IT,C. BE PROVIDED WITH A TOPRAIL WHICH WILL NOT FAIL WHEN A 200 POUND FORCE IS IMPOSED ON IT, 10. BE PROVIDED WITH FALL PROTECTION, AT THE OPENING USED FOR ACCESS AND EGRESS FROM IT, WHICH PROVIDES PROTECTION EQUIVALENT TO THAT OF A STANDARD GUARDRAIL SYSTEM, AND 11. HAVE A SLIP RESISTANT SURFACE. B. USE A TRUCK WHICH SHALL: 1. BE OPERATED ON A LEVEL SURFACE AND HAVE FIRM AND LEVEL FOOTING, 2. BE OPERATED SO THAT OVERHEAD OBSTRUCTIONS ARE AVOIDED, 3. BE OPERATED SO THAT PERSONNEL DO NOT COME CLOSER TO OVERHEAD ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT THAN PERMITTED BY OSHA STANDARD 29 CFR 1910.333, 4. BE EQUIPPED WITH OVERHEAD PROTECTION IF OPERATING CONDITIONS NECESSITATE SUCH PROTECTION, 5. HAVE ALL OPERATING CONTROLS SET AT NEUTRAL AND THE PARKING BRAKE SET WHEN PERSONNEL ARE ON AN ELEVATED PLATFORM, 6. HAVE A QUALIFIED OPERATOR AT THE CONTROLS WHENEVER PERSONNEL ARE ON AN ELEVATED PLATFORM, 7. NOT BE MOVED AFTER THE PLATFORM HAS BEEN RAISED INTO POSITION, WHILE PERSONNEL ARE ON THE PLATFORM, EXCEPT WHEN MINOR HORIZONTAL ADJUSTMENTS OF THE PLATFORM MUST BE MADE, AND 8. BE LOADED TO NO MORE THAN ONE-HALF THE CAPACITY OF THE TRUCK, AS INDICATED ON THE NAMEPLATE OF THE TRUCK ON WHICH THE PLATFORM IS USED. C. USE SIGNAGE, PER PARAGRAPH (C)(3) OF OSHA STANDARD 29 CFR 1910.145, WHEN NEEDED TO PROTECT THE ELEVATED PERSONNEL FORM INJURY, AND D. PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE TRUCK OPERATOR AND THE PERSONNEL ON THE PLATFORM. (IF THE NOISE LEVEL IS LOW THIS MAY BE DONE ORALLY.)