Abstract: EMPLOYEE #1 AND A MECHANIC TRAVELED TO DUDLEY SEAFOOD INC., LOCATED ON HIGHWAY 70 IN BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA, TO REMOVE AND REPLACE A 975 POUND THERMO-KING COMPRESSOR. THE COMPRESSOR WAS A COMPONENT OF DUDLEY'S REFIGERATION UNIT. EMPLOYEE #1 AND THE MECHANIC ARRIVED AT THE SITE AT ABOUT 7:50 AM ON JULY 11, 1986. EMPLOYEE #1 AND THE MECHANIC TALKED WITH THE PRESIDENT OF DUDLEY SEAFOOD ABOUT USING A FORKLIFT TO LIFT THE COMPRESSOR, BUT IT WAS DECIDED TO USE A CRAWLER CRANE OWNED BY DUDLEY SEAFOOD INSTEAD. THE CRAWLER CRANE, MODEL #614, SN 50460, MANUFACTURED IN DECEMBER 1945, WAS STARTED UP AND PREPARED FOR USE IN MAKING THE TRANSFER. THE CRANE WAS VISUALLY CHECKED BY MR DUDLEY OF DUDLEY SEAFOOD (THE OPERATOR), THEN BOOMED UP AND HOOKED TO THE THERMO-KING COMPRESSOR ON THE BACK OF THE TRUCK. THE COMPRESSOR WAS THEN LIFTED FROM THE TRUCK AND PLACED ON THE GROUND. EMPLOYEE #1 THEN CLIMBED TO THE TOP OF THE REFIGERATION UNIT TO ASSIST IN ATTACHING A CHAIN TO THE COMPRESSOR TO BE REPLACED. AS EMPLOYEE #1 WAS PREPARING TO HOOK THE CHAIN TO THE BOOM HOOK, THE BOOM HOIST GEAR ON THE CRAWLER CRANE BEGAN HAVING THE 26 GEAR TEETH BREAK OFF, ONE AT A TIME. THE BOOM FEATHERED DOWNWARD UNTIL ALL THE TEETH HAD BEEN BROKEN OFF. THE BOOM THEN FELL DOWNWARD, STRIKING EMPLOYEE #1 IN THE BACK AND CRUSHING HIM BETWEEN THE CRANE BOOM AND THE TOP OF THE REFIGERATION UNIT. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 10:15 AM. THE BOOM WAS REMOVED FROM EMPLOYEE #1 AND HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL BY THE RESCUE SQUAD. HE DIED AT APPROXIMATELY 3:15 PM THE SAME DAY FROM A RUPTURED AORTA.