Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 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 subject to fall when they were hoisted approximately 240' up a communication tower and lowered from that level while suspended from the winch line of a truck. The following specific hazards occurred: 1.Employees were hoisted up the communication tower with a winch that was not designed to hoist people. Said winch was manufactured by dp Winch, model SB11 52816, serial number 02055296L. 2.An employee was hoisted on the load line while coaxial cable was hoisted into position on the tower. The cable being hoisted was subject to have been caught on the tower or other fixed object which would have substantially increased the load on the hoisting equipment and could have resulted in the failure of said equipment or the rigging suspending it in the tower. These recognized hazards occurred prior to and including April 26, 2005 on the site of the Watonga (Oklahoma) downtown cellular tower. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct these hazards would be to use a hoist designed to hoist employees and to prohibit employees from being raised or lowered whenever other loads were being raised or lowered.