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 fall hazards while working in unprotected elevated locations: a)Rendering Plant - At the discharge end of the cookers there were no guardrails on the inside of the platform to prevent a fall into the hopper and auger below. b)Breeder Barn #2, Poland, ME (01/25/96) - Numerous floor holes existed in wood slat floor (open pit approximately 15 feet below) while Cleaning Crew was performing blowdown of barn. c)Complex 80 - On or about February 29, 1996, the driver of the feed trailer went on top of the trailer to check the tanks without any fall protection to prevent a fall of approximately 12 feet to the ground below. d)Rendering Plant - On or about March 14, 1996, the rendering plant operator was exposed to a fall of approximately 7 feet from the back of a dump truck into the main feed auger at the rendering plant while unloading the dump truck by hand without any fall protection. e)Rendering Plant - On or about March 14, 1996, the garbage truck driver was exposed to a fall of approximately 7 feet from the back of the truck into the main feed auger while unloading the truck by hand without any fall protection. f)Complex 50, Barn 51 - On or about February 20, 1996, The bird crew was placing empty bird carts on the bird trailer and there were no guardrails on the tailgate of the trailer to prevent a fall to the ground below. g)Complex 10, Barn 12 - On or about March 12, 1996, the bird crew was pulling fowl from the barn and placing the full bird carts on the bird trailer without guardrails on the tailgate of the trailer to prevent a fall to the ground below. h)Complex 30, Barn 30 - On or about February 29, 1996, the bird crew was loading empty bird carts on a bird trailer and there was only one section of guardrails on the empty trailer. There were no guardrails on the loaded trailer that was being unloaded to prevent a fall to the ground below. i)Complex 40, Barn 47 - At the first fan bank there were floor openings in front of the fans with 10 feet of guardrail missing. j)Complex 40, Barn 47 - At the second fan bank there were floor openings in front of the fans with 6 feet of guardrails missing. k)Complex 40, Barn 47 - At the third fan bank there were floor openings in front of the fans with three 22" sections of guardrails missing.l)Complex 40, Barn 47 - At the fourth fan bank there were floor openings in front of the fans with three 22" and one 4 foot section of guardrails missing. m)Complex 40, Barn 47 - At the fifth fan bank there were floor openings in front of the fans with four 22" sections of guardrails missing. n)Rendering Plant - There was a two foot opening in the guardrail on the platform near the disconnect switch for the 16 HP vacuum pump. o)Rendering Plant - There was a 6' 9" section of guardrail missing on the platform above the main feed auger. p)Complex 10, Barn 1 - On or about March 6, 1996, the driver of a feed truck was observed on top of the trailer without any fall protection to prevent a fall of approximately 12 feet to the ground below. q)Complex 20, Barn 23 - There were no stair railings on the stairs into the pit from the chicken rack level at the conveyor end of the barn. r)Complex 30, Barn 31 - There were no stair railings on the stairs into the pit from the chicken rack level at the conveyor end of the barn. s)Complex 30, Barn 32 - There were no stair railings on the stairs into the pit from the chicken rack level at the conveyor end of the barn. t)Brooder Barn No. 6 - There were no stair railings on the stairs from the ground level to the chicken rack level. u)Brooder Barn No. 5 - There were no stair railings on the stairs from the ground level to the chicken rack level. v)Brooder Barn No. 1 - There were no stair railings on the stairs from the ground floor to the first floor, from the first floor to the second floor and from the second floor to the third floor. w)Rendering Plant - The stairs leading to the platform at the discharge end of the cookers was at 45 degrees and the tread width was only 5 inches. x)Feed Mill, Load Out Area- Employees walking along the top of the feed trucks to open and close the compartment hatch covers were exposed to a fall of approximately 12 feet to ground level. y)Complex 70 - On or about February 28, 1996, the driver of feed trailer T13 was observed on top of the trailer without any fall protection to prevent a fall of approximately 12 feet to the ground below. Among other methods, one feasible means of abatement would be to install guardrails and/or fall arrest systems at all elevated work locations.