Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard:

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): 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 crushing hazards while working under a load: On or about April 10, 2012, an employee was working underneath the rear axle of an all-purpose vehicle at station 1 in the assembly line, along with another worker, installing and tightening the rear spring plate bolts that connected the rear axle to the vehicle frame. A crane and hoist attached to the vehicle frame raised the rear of the vehicle into the air. A jack stand placed under the frame supported the raised vehicle frame. Nothing, however, supported the axle under which the employee was working to prevent it from dropping from the frame during the bolt tightening procedure: (i) the axle was not securely mounted to the frame of the vehicle to prevent it from dropping and (ii) the axle was not supported with a jack stand or other support mechanism to prevent it from dropping. Employees were exposed to struck-by hazards associated with the installation of the unsecured and unsupported axle. ABATEMENT NOTE: One feasible and acceptable abatement method is to support the rear axle with jack stands when an employee works underneath it