Inspection Detail

Inspection: 302101498 - H & M Specialized Carriers, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Corpus Christi Area Office

Investigation Summary

H & M Specialized Carriers Inc. is in the day-to-day business of transporting equipment such as the transformer they were transporting, which measured 14.45-feet high by 13.5-feet long by 10-feet wide. At 3:30 p.m. on July 9, 1999, a crew was preparing a loaded trailer for over-the-road transportation that came into contact with Employee #1, causing fatal internal injuries. There were no actual witnesses of the accident. The tractor truck operator quit his job after the accident. It appears Employee #1 was using a aerial lift bucket truck to install plastic tubing on top of the loaded equipment to prevent it from coming in contact with overhead power lines. The truck operator must have thought it was clear to move the loaded trailer. Myers Escort Service was approximately 100 feet ahead of the tractor truck to ensure that power lines were raised and that the road was clear ahead and safe to travel. Employee #1 operated the bucket truck but never moved the bucket truck which was next to the loaded trailer. It appears that Employee #1 was outside the bucket truck when the loaded trailer was moved, crushing him between the loaded trailer and the bucket truck. The tractor truck operator stopped when a horn sounded from another truck that saw the bucket truck was hit and that someone was between the trailer and the bucket truck. A worker from the escort service said he looked back when he heard the horn and the metal screeching sound and realized what had happened. It appears the tractor truck operator did not have a clear view to ensure it was safe to move the load.

Keywords: FRACTURE, TORSO, CAUGHT BETWEEN, CRUSHED, TRACTOR TRAILER, TRANSFORMER, AERIAL LIFT