Current through Register Vol. 64, No. 3, March 1, 2025
(1)
General.
(a) The correct tool shall be
selected for the job.
(b) Tools
that have been made unsafe by damage or defect shall not be used.
(c) When climbing a tree, workers shall not
carry tools in their hands other than tools that are used to assist them in
climbing.
(d) Workers shall
maintain a safe working distance from other workers when using hand tools.
(e) Tools shall be properly stored
or placed in plain sight out of the immediate work area when not in use.
(f) Workers shall not throw or
drop tools from trees unless warning has been given and the ground area is
clear, and the act of dropping will not endanger personnel.
(2) Pruners and hand saws.
(a) Pole pruners, pole saws, and other
similar tools shall be equipped with wood or nonmetallic poles. Actuating cord
shall be of nonconducting material.
(b) When inserting a blade in a bow-saw
frame, workers shall keep their hands and fingers in the clear when the tension
lever snaps into or against the saw frame. When removing a bow-saw blade from
the frame, the operator shall stay clear of the blade.
(3) Chopping tools - axes, brush hooks,
machetes, and others.
(a) Chopping tools that
have loose or cracked heads or splintered handles shall not be used.
(b) Chopping tools shall never be used while
working aloft.
(c) Chopping tools
shall be swung away from the feet, legs, and body, using the minimum power
practical for control.
(d)
Chopping tools shall not be driven as wedges or used to drive metal wedges
unless specifically designed to be driven or to be used to drive wedges.
(4) Injector tools for
applying herbicides.
(a) The bit of injector
tools shall be covered with a shield when not in use.
(b) Injectors shall be laid flat on the
ground when not in use.
(c) The
injector shall not be carried on the shoulders but shall be carried by the loop
handle on the downhill side, with the bit properly shielded and facing to the
rear.
(5) Grub hoes,
mattocks and picks.
(a) The blade eye shall
be tight-fitting and wedged so that it cannot slide down the handle.
(b) When swinging grub hoes, mattocks, and
picks, the worker shall have a secure grip and firm footing.
(6) Cant hooks, cant dogs, tongs,
and carrying bars.
(a) Hooks shall be firmly
set before applying pressure.
(b)
Tools with cracked, splintered, or weakened handles shall not be used.
(c) Workers shall be warned and
shall be in the clear before logs are moved.
(d) The points of hooks shall be at least 2
inches long and kept sharp.
(e)
Workers shall stand to the rear and uphill when rolling logs.
(7) Wedges, chisels, and gouges.
(a) Wedges, chisels, and gouges shall be
inspected for cracks and flaws before use.
(b) Wedges and chisels shall be properly
pointed and tempered. Tools with mushroomed heads shall not be used.
(c) Only wood, plastic, or soft-metal wedges
shall be used with power saws.
(d)
Wood-handled chisels shall be protected with a ferrule on the striking end.
(8) Hammers, mauls, and
sledges. Wood, rubber or high-impact plastic mauls, sledges, or hammers shall
be used when striking wood-handled chisels or gouges.
(9) Ropes.
(a) Climbing ropes shall be used when working
aloft in trees. Climbing ropes shall have a minimum diameter of 1/2-inch and be
a 3- or 4-strand first-grade manila with a nominal breaking strength of 2385
pounds or its equivalent in strength and durability. Synthetic rope shall have
a maximum elasticity of not more than 7 percent.
(b) Rope made unsafe by damage or defect, or
for any other reason, shall not be used.
(c) Rope shall be stored away from all
cutting edges and sharp tools. Corrosive chemicals, gas, and oil shall be kept
away from rope.
(d) Climbing ropes
and safety lines shall not be used to lower limbs or other parts of trees or to
raise or lower equipment.
(e) When
stored, rope shall be coiled and piled, or suspended, so that air can circulate
through the coils.
(f) Rope ends
shall be secured to prevent unraveling.
(g) Climbing and safety rope shall not be
spliced to effect repair.
(h)
Safety snaps shall be rotated from one end of the rope to the other, as needed,
and the worn end cut off.
(i) A
handline shall be used for raising or lowering tools and limbs.
(10) Tackle blocks and pulleys.
Tackle blocks and pulleys shall be inspected immediately before use and shall
be condemned if defective, in accordance with procedures given in ANSI/ASME
B30.9-1984, B30.9a-1985, and B30.9b-1987, Safety Standard for Slings.
(11) Ladders.
(a) When using portable ladders to climb
trees, the ladder shall be tied to the tree or supported by another worker.
When working from a ladder during cutting operations, the ladder shall be
securely tied or braced, and the worker tied in as required by OAR
437-002-0310(1)(a)(A).
(b) Ladders, platforms, and aerial
devices, including insulated aerial devices, shall not be placed in a position
where they could contact an electrical conductor. Reliance shall not be placed
on their dielectric capabilities.
(c) Ladders made of metal or other conductive
material shall not be used where an electrical hazard exists. Only approved
wood ladders (constructed in accordance with ANSI A14.1-1982, Safety
Requirements for Portable Wood Ladders, or nonconductive ladders made of
synthetic material equal to or exceeding the strength of approved wood ladders,
shall be used.
(d) Metal ladders
used where no electrical hazard exists shall conform to ANSI A14.2-1982, Safety
Requirements for Portable Metal Ladders.
(e) All ladders shall be inspected daily
before use. Unsafe ladders shall not be used.
(f) The attaching of cleats, metal points,
and safety feet; lashing; or other effective means of securing the ladder shall
be used if there is danger of its slipping.
(g) Ladders shall be supported while in
storage so they will not sag. Except when on mobile equipment, ladders shall be
stored under suitable cover, protected from the weather, and kept in a dry
location away from excessive heat.
(h) Ladders shall not be used as bridges or
inclined planes to load or handle logs or other material.
(12) Climbing spurs. Climbing spurs shall be
of the tree-climbing type and have gaffs suitable for the tree being
climbed.
Publications: Publications referenced are available from the
agency.
Stat. Auth.: ORS
654.025(2)
& 656.726(3)
Stats. Implemented: ORS
654.001 -
654.295