MIOSHA Orders company to Cease Operations Due to unresolved worker safety issues. Three of the eight worker deaths in Michigan this year have been related to tree trimming and removal. A Cease Operation Order is one of the strongest enforcement actions MIOSHA can take.
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MIOSHA Orders Sunset Tree Service & Landscaping to Cease Operations Due to Unresolved Worker Safety Issues.pdf
MIOSHA Orders company to Cease Operations Due to unresolved worker safety issues. Three of the eight worker deaths in Michigan this year have been related to tree trimming and removal. A Cease Operation Order is one of the strongest enforcement actions MIOSHA can take.
MIOSHA Orders company to Cease Operations Due to unresolved worker safety issues. Three of the eight worker deaths in Michigan this year have been related to tree trimming and removal. A Cease Operation Order is one of the strongest enforcement actions MIOSHA can take.
to Cease Operations Due to Unresolved Worker Safety
Issues Media Contact: LARA Communications 517-373-9280 Email: mediainfo@michigan.gov May 16, 2016 Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Director Shelly Edgerton today directed the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) to execute a Cease Operation Order against Sunset Tree Service & Landscaping of Bay City for continuing to operate without abating hazards on the jobsite. Pursuant to the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Act 154 of 1974, MIOSHA ordered the company to cease operations due to a lack of personal protective equipment, rescue procedures, maintaining minimum working distances to energized conductors and a written hazard communication program. "By neglecting to comply with MIOSHA standards, Sunset has compromised the safety of its employees, said Edgerton. MIOSHA is committed to working collaboratively with employers to ensure worker protections, but when a company fails to correct previously identified hazards and continues to put workers in harms way, we will take the appropriate enforcement measures. Sunset Tree Service & Landscaping employs nine workers and is an ornamental shrub and tree service. The business requires the extensive use of personal protective equipment, hand tools and various powered equipment used in the removal and processing of trees.
Though not classified as a high-hazard industry, MIOSHA proactively provides
information and enforcement resources to employers in this industry due to the number of workplace fatalities related to tree trimming and removal. The hazards of the tree care industry can be great, and in many cases, may result in death. To date, three of the eight worker deaths that occurred in Michigan this year have been a result of tree trimming and removal. Contact with overhead power lines, struck by fallen tree sections, and faulty and/or defective equipment increase the dangers associated with tree care and removal already in 2016. A Cease Operation Order is one of the strongest enforcement actions MIOSHA can take against an employer. They can be executed when MIOSHA has determined there are serious hazards at a worksite and the employer fails to correct the hazards. If an employer fails to comply with the Cease Operation Order, MIOSHA has the authority and the responsibility to seek a court order to obtain compliance. Eliminating employee exposure to serious hazards is our number one priority, said Acting MIOSHA Director Bart Pickelman. Since the employer refuses to take corrective action, it is MIOSHAs duty to step in and ensure worker protections are put in place. Once Sunset corrects the hazards and notifies MIOSHA compliance officers, the agency will respond in less than 24 hours, verify abatement and remove the Cease Operation Order. The MIOSHA General Industry Safety Standard Part 53, Tree Trimming and Removal, addresses minimum safety expectations for the industry. To learn more about tree trimming safety, visit MIOSHAs website and view resources under Tree Trimming. For more information about MIOSHA, please visit www.michigan.gov/miosha Like us on Facebook, follow @MI_OSHA on Twitter or watch us on YouTube.
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