Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Account Executive, Rory Anderson, discuss the top five OSHA citations for the tree care industry.

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Director/Producer/Host: Alyssa Burley

Guest: Rory Anderson

Editor: Emily Marasso

Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “News Room News” by Spence

© Copyright 2021. Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcript

[Introduction Music]

Alyssa Burley: Hi, this is Alyssa Burley with Rancho Mesa's media communications and client services department. Thank you for listening to today's top Rancho Mesa news brought to you by our safety and risk management network StudioOne™.

Welcome back everyone. My guest today is Rory Anderson, Account Executive with Rancho Mesa. He specializes in commercial insurance for the tree care industry. And today, we’re going to talk about the top five OSHA citations for the tree care industry.  Rory, welcome to the show.

Rory Anderson: What is going on Alyssa? Thanks for having me back.

AB: Of course. Now, this is definitely a top five list that a business owner in the tree care industry wants to be aware of, so they can select trainings that can prevent these common citations from happening.

Rory, how does the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, identify these citations?

RA: So every year, Federal OSHA conducts hundreds of inspections and they’ll issue citations, that aren’t cheap, to all types of business, but today we’re going to talk about what those common OSHA citations are as it pertains to the tree care industry.

AB: Okay, let’s talk about the number five citation on the list.

RA: Perfect. So with an average penalty of about $1,200, the violation of standard 1910.135, which is a violation of head protection, will occur when the employer fails to ensure that employees wear hard hats when they’re required to.

AB: For employers who don’t actively enforce hard hats on the jobsite, the Risk Management Center has a sample policy and tailgate talks that address how to select a hard hat. So, with a little training and a shift in company culture, the likelihood of getting this citation can be eliminated.

So Rory, what’s the number four citation? 

RA: Okay so, this one has an average penalty of about $3,300. It’s the violation of standard 1910.67 which deals with vehicle-mounted elevating and rotating platforms. So, this citation can be issued if the employer fails to provide fall protection for the lift operator or fails to properly inspect the lift.

AB: And this is a dangerous scenario asthe construction workforce continues to get younger and less experienced. Companies must make sure that anyone operating a mobile elevating work platform is properly trained and all inspections are completed.

In episode 117, Casey Craig, account executive with Rancho Mesa, discusses MEWPs. So, if you’re interested in learning more about those standards, we’ll include a link in the episode notes.

So Rory, let’s talk about the number three citation.

RA: Okay so, this violation has an average penalty of around $3,000 and is issued when standard 5(a)(1) is in violation, which is the OSHA General Duty clause. So, this citation applies when an employer fails to provide a workplace free of recognized hazards and OSHA does not have a standard that, you know, describe those hazards that are encountered. So, usually general duty citations in the tree care industry will cite passages from the ANSI Z133 standard.

AB: I can see how the General Duty standard is there to catch anything that isn’t specifically stated, yet it’s still a hazard.

How about the second most issued OSHA violation for the tree care industry?

RA: Okay great, so this one has an average penalty of just $500. So, it’s not too expensive, but it is being issued pretty frequently.  It’s a violation of standard 1910.1200, which is a Hazard Communication. So, this citation is served if the employer lacks a hazard communication program for hazardous substances, you know, like gas or hydraulic fluid that is periodically encountered in the tree workplace.

AB: Oh, and there’s tons of resources for HAZCOM in the Risk Management Center.  There’s an online course for employees and I think that there’s another one for management. There’s also videos and training shorts or tailgate talks, PowerPoint presentations, and printable posters so there’s a lot available. 

So, if a business owner is struggling to comply, there are resources available to ensure employees are properly trained.

Okay, Rory.  Now that we’ve covered the other four, what is the number one citation received by the tree care industry?

[Drumroll]

RA: Alright, you ready for this? [Drumroll ends] The last one. With an average penalty of $1,300, violation of standard 1910.132, PPE General Requirements is issued when tree care companies fail to assess workplace hazards, they don’t provide personal protective equipment, and they fail to train employees on when and how to use it.

So kind of along the same lines as wearing a hard hat, utilizing proper PPE not only can prevent the company from being cited, but can actually save the life of an employee.

AB: Absolutely, and there’s plenty of resources for trainings, videos, checklists, and policies that businesses can utilize to identify those hazards and ensure employees are using the proper PPE.

So Rory, if listeners have questions about safety on the jobsite or their workers’ compensation insurance, what's the best way to get in touch with you?

RA: I can be reached at (619) 486-6437 or my email is my first initial and last name so randerson@ranchomesa.com. Also, I can provide a complete risk analysis based on a company’s operations, so, if a listener is interested, please get in touch with me and I’d be happy to take a look at your risks.

AB: Rory, thank you for joining me in StudioOne™.

RA: Great to be here, thank you.

[Closing Music]

AB: This is Alyssa Burley with Rancho Mesa. Thanks for tuning in to our latest episode produced by StudioOne™. For more information, visit us at ranchomesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.