Facility managers know all too well that while the job of inspecting, repairing and maintaining institutional and commercial can seem routine, front-line technicians regularly perform tasks and use equipment that can threaten their safety and even their lives, as managers and staff at one California facility found out.
The death of a federal civilian employee recently prompted the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue notices of safety violations to the U.S. Army Reserve 63 Regional Support Command at a Sacramento maintenance facility, according to Manufacturing.Net.
OSHA issued the notices after the employee was killed when the automated lifting mechanism of a utility vehicle cargo box failed and pinned him between the vehicle’s bed and its frame. OSHA investigators determined that the command center did not have an adequate hazardous energy control program in place and failed to provide required injury and illness records to OSHA in a timely manner.
“Employees must be trained on how to safely perform work activities,” says Amber Rose, OSHA Oakland area director. “This tragedy could have been prevented had a job hazard analysis been conducted and an effective safety and health program been in place.”
Dan Hounsell is editor-in-chief of Facility Maintenance Decisions and FacilitiesNet.com.
