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 to each of his employees a place of employment which was 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 following condition(s): a) The employees were exposed to the hazard of falling to the ground from top of a 10 story hotel located at 123 Baronne Street, New Orleans, La. An employee engaged in window washing activities using a Petzl sit-harness with a rope pull/rope control device and a boatswain's chair with a descent control device called a "Rack" fell approximately 10 stories. The employee was using two 7/16" nylon ropes, one rope was attached to the sit-harness at the belt buckle level and the other was attached to the boatswain's chair. The employee was not using a separate fall arrest system including full body harness,lifeline and rope grab. Among other methods, one feasible and accepted abatement method to correct this hazard is to implement all the following procedures and precautions for employees who use descent control devices. 1) Train employees in the use of the equipment before it is used; 2. Inspect equipment each day before use; 3. Proper rigging, including sound anchorages and tiebacks, in all cases, with particular emphasis on providing tiebacks when counterweights, cornice hooks, or similar non-permanent anchorage systems are used; 4. Use of a separate fall arrest system (full body harness with rope grab or similar device, lifeline and anchorage must be used. All components of the fall arrest system must be completely independent of the friction device and its support system), so that any failure in a friction device, support seat(or harness), support line, or anchorage system will not affect the ability of the fall arrest system to operate and quickly stop the employee's fall; 5. All lines installed(such as by using knots, swages or eye splices) when rigging descent control devices shall be capable of sustaining a minimum tensile load of 5,000 pounds; 6. Provisions are made for rescue; 7. Ropes are effectively padded where they contact edges of the building, anchorage, obstructions, or other surfaces which might cut weaken the rope; 8. Provisions are made for intermittent stabilization for descent in excess of 130 feet.