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U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA Cites U.S. Forest Service In Ketchikan, Alaska, for Alleged Safety Violations at a Worksite

January 25, 2007

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued willful, serious and repeat citations against the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) for alleged safety violations found during a fatality inspection involving the USFS's Integrated Services Organization in Ketchikan, Alaska.

The inspection was initiated after a USFS employee was fatality injured on Aug. 30, 2006, while performing maintenance at the USFS Awke Mountain telecommunications site near Yakutat, Alaska. The employee slipped and fell approximately 225 feet while attempting an emergency egress down the treacherous mountain terrain.

The willful citation addresses failure by the employer to provide adequate shelter or protection from the elements leading to employees attempting emergency egress. Willful violations are those committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations.

The serious citation states the employees were exposed to environmental and fall hazards due to lack of personal protective equipment for the inclement weather conditions and lack of training in emergency equipment and preparedness for emergency egress situations.

The repeat citation noted the USFS's failure to inspect workplace operations on an annual basis or more often for work areas with high-risk operations.

USFS was also cited for not maintaining a log or summary of work related injuries and illnesses for the establishment that had been in operation for more than one year.

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