Source: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2009-08-24
Timestamp: 2019-11-14 12:00:50
Document Index: 624725310

Matched Legal Cases: ['§1926', '§1926', '§1926', '§1926', '§1926', '§1926', '§1926', '§1926', '§1926', '§1926', '§1926', '§1926', '§1926', '§1926', '§1926', '§1926', '§1926', '§1926', '§1926', '§1926', '§1926']

Application of OSHA's de minimis policy to the requirements of 29 CFR 1926.452(o)(3) and 29 CFR 1926.552(c)(1) - 1926.552(c)(4), 1926.552(c)(8), 1926.552(c)(13), 926.552(c)(14)(i), and 1926.552(c)(16) regarding certain chimney construction work. | Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Application of OSHA's de minimis policy to the requirements of 29 CFR 1926.452(o)(3) and 29 CFR 1926.552(c)(1) - 1926.552(c)(4), 1926.552(c)(8), 1926.552(c)(13), 926.552(c)(14)(i), and 1926.552(c)(16) regarding certain chimney construction work.
Letter #20090424-8992:
Re: Application of OSHA's de minimis policy to the requirements of 29 CFR 1926.452(o)(3) and 29 CFR 1926.552(c)(1) - 1926.552(c)(4), 1926.552(c)(8), 1926.552(c)(13), 1926.552(c)(14)(i), and 1926.552(c)(16) regarding certain chimney construction work
This letter replaces a letter of interpretation to Mr. William Nolan dated February 8, 2007 concerning the application of OSHA's de minimis policy to the requirements of 29 CFR 1926.452(o)(3) and 29 CFR 1926.552(c)(1) - 1926.552(c)(4), 1926.552(c)(8), 1926.552(c)(13), 1926.552(c)(14)(i), and 1926.552(c)(16) regarding certain chimney construction work.1 OSHA's initial response was based, in part, on permanent variances granted from the aforementioned requirements to employers engaged in comparable chimney construction work. As noted in the letter, OSHA updates its guidance from time to time in response to new information. Since its initial response, OSHA received several requests from chimney-construction employers for permanent variances from the same requirements. During its review of the subsequent permanent variance requests, OSHA identified several hazards that the aforementioned requirements protect against that the discussed alternative hoist system does not address. Accordingly, the Agency has determined that it is necessary to add certain conditions to the application of the de minimis policy to address these hazards.
Background: OSHA has previously granted certain chimney-construction employers permanent variances2 from several personnel hoist requirements (29 CFR 1926.552(c)(1) through 1926.552(c)(4), 1926.552(c)(8), 1926.552(c)(13), 1926.552(c)(14)(i), and 1926.552(c)(16)), as well as from the tackle requirements for boatswains' chairs (29 CFR 1926.452(o)(3)).
Each of these employers successfully demonstrated in its permanent variance application that complying with the requirements of 29 CFR 1926.552(c)(1) through 1926.552(c)(4), 1926.552(c)(8),1926.552(c)(13), 1926.552(c)(14)(i), and 1926.552(c)(16) and 29 CFR 1926.452(o)(3) would result in access problems posing a serious risk to the employees.
Furthermore, each of these employers proposed the same or similar alternative methods and procedures to the OSHA requirements for protecting the employees while being transported to and from their elevated worksites during chimney construction and repair. These alternative methods and procedures provided the basis for the de minimis policy explained in the February 8, 2007 letter of interpretation.
OSHA has identified additional hazards associated with the alternative hoist system and is adding supplemental conditions to its de minimis policy to address these hazards. The hazards and additional conditions are discussed individually below.
Shearing hazard: §1926.552(c)(l) and §1926.552(c)(2)
Section 1926.552(c) provides:
(c) Personnel hoists.
(1) Hoist towers outside the structure shall be enclosed for the full height on the side or sides used for entrance and exit to the structure. At the lowest landing, the enclosure on the sides not used for exit or entrance to the structure shall be enclosed to a height of at least 10 feet. Other sides of the tower adjacent to floors or scaffold platforms shall be enclosed to a height of 10 feet above the level of such floors or scaffolds.
Subparagraphs (c)(l) and (c)(2) of §1926.552 require the enclosure of personnel hoist towers. This requirement guards against the shearing hazard presented by the tower if employees' limbs or other body parts can extend outside the hoist car as the hoist car moves up and down. During construction of a chimney, scaffolding, landings, and/or work platforms may be present in the chimney's interior. If the personnel hoist utilized in the alternative hoist system passes through platforms at the top or intermediate landings during operations, employees riding in the personnel platform or boatswains' chair would potentially be exposed to a similar shearing hazard. The scaffolding, work platforms, or similar structures could shear, crush, or inflict other serious injuries to a hand, arm, foot, leg, or other body part that extends beyond the personnel platform or boatswains' chair.
To prevent these injuries, OSHA believes that employees who use these devices must be able to recognize shearing hazards at the worksite and how to avoid them. Therefore, OSHA has added a condition requiring employers to train employees in the recognition and avoidance of such hazards. Additionally, OSHA has added a condition requiring employers to attach readily-visible warnings of the hazards to personnel platforms and boatswains' chairs. OSHA believes these warnings will supplement and reinforce the required hazard training by reminding employees of the hazard and how to avoid it.
Fall hazard: §1926.552(c)(8)
With respect to doors and gates for a hoist tower, §1926.552(c)(8) states: "Doors or gates shall be provided with electric contacts which do not allow movement of the hoist when door or gate is open." In addition to the shearing hazard discussed above, this interlock requirement also protects against possible fall hazards as employees could be ejected from a moving car through an open door or gate. OSHA believes employees utilizing the alternative hoist system discussed in the February 8, 2007 could be exposed to a similar fall hazard.
The original conditions stated in the February 8, 2007 letter lacked a requirement to ensure employees riding in personnel cages utilized fall protection systems.3 While the original conditions require personnel cages to have mechanical locks on gates to prevent accidental opening, the lock only protects against a fall hazard when the gate is in a closed position. Since the hoist system may continue to operate with open doors or gates, employees may be exposed to potential fall hazards and the risk of ejection from the personnel cage. To address this hazard, OSHA has added conditions requiring the use of personal fall-arrest systems in accordance with §1926.502(d) during travel in a personnel cage, as well as suitable anchorage points within the personnel cage for the fall protection systems.
Struck-by hazards: §1926.552(c)(1), §1926.552(c)(2), and §1926.552(c)(8)
The enclosure requirements in §1926.552(c)(1) - (c)(2), in conjunction with the interlock requirement in §1926.552(c)(8) protect against the struck-by hazard posed by a descending transport device to employees who are near the bottom-landing area of the personnel hoist tower. The required enclosures and interlocks serve to minimize the potential for employees to enter the area beneath the transport device, where the employees would be exposed to the struck-by hazard. The alternative hoist system that has been utilized by chimney-construction employers poses a similar hazard in that a descending transport device, such as a personnel cage, personnel platform, or boatswains' chair, could strike an employee who is in or near the bottom-landing area of the hoist system. During descent, it also is difficult for employees in or on these devices to know if an employee is beneath them who may be unaware of the descending device.
OSHA has added a condition requiring employers to establish an exclusion zone around the bottom landing of the hoist system to address the struck-by hazard posed by a descending transport device. The condition requires employers to ensure that employees enter the exclusion zone only to access a transport device that is in the area circumscribed by the exclusion zone, and only when the hoist system is not in operation.
OSHA has also made minor revisions to the February 8, 2007 letter for purposes of clarity. First, OSHA has removed references to the hoist system as a "rope-guided hoist system." OSHA notes that this prior description is not completely accurate since the hoist system does not utilize guide ropes for operations involving personnel platforms and boatswains' chairs. OSHA believes referring to the system as a hoist system, rather than a rope guided hoist system, will avoid potential confusion. Second, with respect to fall protection, OSHA has removed the reference to §1926.104 to make clear that required personal fall arrest systems must comply with criteria provided by §1926.502(d).
1 The original letter, with modifications, is included below. [back to text]
2 These variances were granted pursuant to Section 6(d) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 USC 655) and 29 CFR 1905.11. [back to text]
3 Note that the original conditions required employees to use body harnesses, lanyards, and lifelines while riding on boatswains' chairs and personnel platforms. [back to text]
This is in response to your letter dated May 5, 2005, to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regarding the provisions that regulate the tackle used for boatswains' chairs (29 CFR 1926.452(o)(3)), as well as the provisions specified for personnel hoists in 29 CFR 1926.552(c)(1) through 1926.552(c)(14)(i), 1926.552(c)(8), 1926.552(c)(13), 1926.552(c)(14)(i), and 1926.552(c)(16). We apologize for the delay in responding.
Background: Since 1973, OSHA has granted 16 chimney-construction employers permanent variances 1a from several personnel hoist requirements (29 CFR 1926.552(c)(1) through 1926.552(c)(4), 1926.552(c)(8) 1926.552(c)(13), 1926.552(c)(14)(i), and 1926.552(c)(16)), as well as from the tackle requirements for boatswains' chairs (29 CFR 1926.452(o)(3)).
Each of the 16 employers successfully demonstrated in its permanent variance application that complying with the requirements of 29 CFR 1926.552(c)(1) through 1926.552(c)(4), 1926.552(c)(8), 1926.552(c)(13) 1926.552(c)(14)(i), and 1926.552(c)(16), and 29 CFR 1926.452(o)(3) would result in access problems posing a serious risk to the employees.
Question: Scenario: We are a chimney construction employer performing work similar to these previous applicants, requesting a permanent variance from the same personnel hoist and boatswains' chairs tackle requirements, and proposing to use the same or similar alternative apparatus and procedures as the previous employers requested. Based on the previous variance requests and grants to 29 CFR 1926.552(c)(1) through [1926.552(c)(4)], [1926.552(c)(8)], [1926.552(c)(13)], [1926.552(c)(14)(i)], and [1926.552(c)(16)], and 29 CFR 1926.452(o)(3), will OSHA permit us to use the most current alternative procedures outlined in the granted permanent variance applications without waiting for the Agency to grant us a permanent variance?
(3) Boatswains' chair tackle shall consist of correct size ball bearings or bushed blocks containing safety hooks and properly "eye-spliced" minimum five-eighth (5/8) inch (1.6 cm) diameter first-grade manila rope, or other rope which will satisfy the criteria (e.g., strength and durability) of manila rope.
The primary purpose of §1926.452(o)(3) is to allow an employee to safely control the ascent, descent, and stopping locations of the boatswains' chair. However, as explained in past variance applications, because of space limitations in these chimneys, the required tackle is difficult or impossible to operate on some chimneys that are over 200 feet tall. Where that is the case, employers can sometimes use a hoist system to raise or lower employees in a personnel cage to work locations both inside and outside a chimney. However, use of a personnel cage for this purpose is in some cases infeasible because of limited space. A personnel platform can be used in such cases, except when available space makes its use infeasible. In those instances it is necessary to use a boatswains' chair to lift employees to work platforms. The boatswains' chair, though, is needed only for reaching elevations above the last work location that the personnel platform can reach. Furthermore, when the structural arrangement precludes the safe use of the block and tackle required by 29 CFR 1926.452(o)(3), it is necessary to attach the boatswains' chair directly to the hoisting cable of the rope-guided hoist system described below under "De minimis policy."
Problems associated with compliance with 29 CFR 1926.552(c)(l) - 1926.552(c)(4), 1926.552(c)(8), 1926.552(c)(13), 1926.552(c)(14)(i), and 1926.552(c)(16)
Paragraph (c)(l) of 29 CFR 1926.552 requires the employers to enclose hoist towers located outside a chimney on the side or sides used for entrance to, and exit from, the chimney. These enclosures must extend the full height of the hoist tower. However, employers, in past-proposed variances, have stated that it is impractical and hazardous to locate a hoist tower outside tapered chimneys because it becomes increasingly difficult, as a chimney rises, to erect, guy, and brace a hoist tower. Under these conditions, access from the hoist tower to the chimney or to the movable scaffolds used in constructing the chimney exposes employees to a serious fall hazard. Additionally, they noted that the requirement to extend the enclosures 10 feet above the outside scaffolds often exposes the employees involved in building these extensions to dangerous wind conditions.
As such, where an employer follows the alternative procedures set forth below in the specified circumstances,2a the violations of 29 CFR 1926.452(o)(3) and 29 CFR 1926.552(c)(1)-1926.552(c)(4), 1926.552(c)(8), 1926.552(c)(13), 1926.552(c)(14)(i), and 1926.552(c)(16) will be considered de minimis.3a
1. Circumstances under which the de minimis policy is acceptable
(b) This de minimis policy applies only when the employer uses a rope-guided
hoist system during inside or outside chimney construction work to raise or lower the employees between the bottom landing of a chimney and an elevated work location on the inside or outside surface of the chimney.
(ii) Attach a hopper or concrete bucket to the rope-guided system to raise and lower all other materials and tools inside or outside a chimney.
(d) Except for the requirements specified by §1926.452(o)(3) and §§1926.552(c)(1) through 1926.552(c)(4), 1926.552(c)(8), 1926.552(c)(13), 1926.552(c)(14)(i), and 1926.552(c)(16), the employer must comply fully with all other applicable provisions of 29 CFR 1910 and 1926.
(b) Boatswains' chair. When the employer demonstrates that available space makes a personnel platform for transporting employees infeasible, it may replace the personnel platform with a boatswains' chair if it:
(1) limits the use of the boatswains' chair to elevations above the last work location that the personnel platform can reach; and
(2) uses a boatswains' chair in accordance with the block-and-tackle requirements specified by §1926.452(o)(3), unless it can demonstrate that the structural arrangement of the chimney precludes such use.
(g) Slack-rope switch. The employer must equip the hoist machine with a slackrope switch to prevent rotation of the winding drum under slack-rope conditions.
(ii) Ensure that the fleet angle remains between one-half degree (1/2º) and one and one-half degrees (1-1/2º) for smooth drums, and between one-half degree (1/2º) and two degrees (2º) for grooved drums, with the lead sheave centered on the drum.4
(1) Spooling of the rope. The employer must never spool the rope closer than two inches from the outer edge of the winding-drum flange.
(a) Grade. The employer must use a wire rope for the hoist system (i.e., "hoist rope") that consists of extra-improved plow steel, an equivalent grade of nonrotating rope, or a regular lay rope with a suitable swivel mechanism.
(f) Wire-rope fastenings. When the employer uses clip fastenings (e.g., U-bolt wire-rope clips) with wire ropes, it must:
(b) Directional change. The employer must ensure that the angle of change in the hoist rope from the horizontal to the vertical direction at the footblock is approximately 90º.
(i) Consist of steel safety cables not less than one-half (1/2-) inch in diameter; and (ii) Be free of damage or defect at all times.
(vi) Safe handholds (e.g., rope grips - but not rails or hard protrusions5 that accommodate each occupant.
(vii) Attachment points to which employees must secure their personal fall protection systems.
(i) Conduct static drop tests of each personnel cage, and these tests must comply with the definition of "static drop test" specified by section 3 ("Definitions") and the static drop-test procedures provided in section 13 ("Inspections and Tests") of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard A10.22-1990 (R1998) ("American National Standard for Rope-Guided and Nonguided Worker's Hoists - Safety Requirements");
(iii) Use a pre-determined and pre-set clamping force (i.e., the "spring compression force") for each hoist system. (d) Maintenance. The employer must keep the safety-clamp assemblies clean and functional at all times.
(c) Training. The employer must instruct each employee who uses a personnel cage for transportation on how to operate the emergency-escape device:
(iii) Comply with the applicable scaffolding strength requirements specified by §1926.451(a)(l).
15. Protecting Employees from Fall and Shearing Hazards
(b)(a) Fall-protection equipment. Before employees use personnel cages, personnel work platforms, or boatswains' chairs, the employer must:
(i) Equip the employees with, and ensure that they use, full body harnesses, lanyards and lifelines as specified by §1926.l04 and the applicable personal fall-arrest systems that meet the requirements of §1926.502(d);
(ii) Ensure that employees using personnel cages secure their fall-arrest systems to attachment points located inside the cage;
(iii) Ensure that employees using personnel platforms and boatswains' chairs secure their persona fall-arrest systems to a vertical lifeline; and
(iv) When using vertical lifelines:
(A) Secure the lifelines to the top of the chimney and to the weight at the bottom of the chimney; and
(B) Weight the lifelines properly or suitably affix the lifelines to the bottom of the chimney; and
(iii) (C) Ensure the employees' lanyards are remain attached to the their lifeline during the entire period of vertical transit.
(b) Shearing hazards. The employer must:
(i) Provide employees who use personnel platforms or boatswains' chairs with instruction on the shearing hazards posed by the hoist system (e.g., work platforms, scaffolds), and the need to keep their limbs or other body parts clear of these hazards during hoisting operations;
(ii) Provide the instruction on shearing hazards;
(A) Before an employee uses a personnel platform or boatswains' chair at the worksite; and
(B) Periodically. and as necessary, thereafter, including whenever an employee demonstrates a lack of knowledge about the hazard or how to avoid it, a modification occurs to an existing shearing hazard, or a new shearing hazard develops at the worksite: and
(iii) Attach a readily-visible warning to each personnel platform and boatswains' chair notifying employees in a language they understand of potential shearing hazards they may encounter during hoisting operations, and that uses the following (or equivalent) wording:
(A) For personnel platforms: "Warning - To avoid serious injury, keep your hands, arms, feet, legs, and other parts of your body inside this platform while it is moving"; and
(B) For boatswains' chairs: "Warning - To avoid serious injury, do not extend your hands arms, feet, legs. or other parts of your body from the side or to the front of this chair while it is moving."
16. Exclusion Zone
(a) Establish a clearly designated exclusion zone around the bottom landing of the hoist system; and
(b) Prohibit any employee from entering the exclusion zone, except to access a personnel or material transport device, and then only when the device is at the bottom landing and not in operation (i.e., when the drive components of the hoist machine are disengaged and the braking mechanism is properly applied).
17. Inspections, Tests, and Accident Prevention
If you need additional information, please contact us by fax at #202-693-1689. You can also contact us by mail at the U. S. Department of Labor, OSHA Directorate of Construction, Office of Construction Standards and Guidance, Room N3468, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210, although there will be a delay in our receiving correspondence by mail.
1a These variances were granted pursuant to Section 6(d) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 655) and 29 CFR 1905.11. The Federal Register citations for these variances are: 38 FR 8545 (April 3, 1973), 44 FR 51352 (August 31, 1979), 50 FR 20145 (May 14, 1985) 50 FR 40627 (October 4, 1985), 52 FR 22552 (June 12, 1987), 68 FR 52961 (September 8, 2003), 70 FR 72659 (December 6, 2005), and 71 FR 10557 (March 1, 2006) [back to text]
2a These are based on the circumstances and procedures described in the previously-granted permanent variances referred to earlier.[back to text]
3a Under OSHA's de minimis policy, de minimis violations are those which have no direct or immediate relationship to safety and health. Consequently, no citation is issued. [back to text]
4 This de minimis policy adopts the definition of, and specifications for, fleet angle from Cranes and Derricks, H.I. Shapiro, et al. (eds.); New York: McGraw-Hill; 3rd ed., 1999, page 592. Accordingly, the fleet angle is "[t]he angle the rope leading onto a [winding] drum makes with the line perpendicular to the drum rotating axis when the lead rope is making a wrap against the flange." [back to text]
5 To reduce impact hazards should employees lose their balance because of cage movement. [back to text]
6 Paragraphs (a) and (b) were adapted from OSHA's Underground Construction Standard (§1926.800(t)(4)(iv)). [back to text]