Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 200784437 - Employee Is Killed When Caught Between Lift and Beam

Accident Summary Nr: 200784437 -- Report ID: 0626300 -- Event Date: 05/19/2008
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
309578409	05/19/2008	1742	238310	Morris Drywall Systems, Inc.

Abstract: On May 19, 2008, Employee #1 was working from a Sky Jack aerial platform/scissor lift (Model Number 4626, Serial Number 73223) approximately 20 ft above the floor. As he was raising the lift, the right side of the platform struck a vertical pipe, which caused the lift to tilt up on two wheels. Employee #1's chest was caught between the lift's guardrail system and a beam. He was killed. The aerial lift had several modifications. The "Lift Enable" and "Up/Down" selector switches were unable to spring back to the Neutral/Stop position when either switch was released. The broken "Lift Enable" switch was not the original manufacturer's equipment. The "Lift/Off/Drive" select key switch had been changed to a switch that did not require a key. The aerial platform did not have a tilt alarm (a device that would sense when the machine is out of level in any direction), disable the drive and lift functions of the aerial platform, and actuate audible and visible alarms. The forward and reverse joystick did not function properly. The spring-loaded collar that was designed to hold the joystick in the neutral position was inoperable, allowing the platform/lift to move with the slightest tap or bump. The operator's control box (Serial Number 602423) on the aerial platform was not the original manufacturer's equipment.

Keywords: BEAM, GUARDRAIL, HAND CONTROL, ALARM, INTERLOCK, EQUIPMENT FAILURE, CAUGHT BETWEEN, ELEVATED WORK PLAT, AERIAL LIFT

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Other building		New project or new addition		$50,000 to $250,000	1	30	X

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	309578409			Fatality	Asphyxia	Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Installing interior walls, ceilings, doors Fatality Cause: Other

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