Accident Report Detail
Accident Summary Nr: 201126703 - Aircraft Passenger Loading Bridge Runs over Employee
| Inspection Nr | Date Opened | SIC | NAICS | Establishment Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 310093547 | 03/13/2008 | 4581 | 488119 | Swissport Usa, Inc. |
Abstract: A ramp crew was servicing an airplane that had landed at an airport. Three janitors on the crew gathered near the support column for a ThyssenKrupp Apron Drive (passenger loading bridge; Model No. TB39/23.5-2, Serial No. 05145TB3921326). The janitors received an okay to begin work and prepared to enter the aircraft by the stairs to the passenger loading bridge. One of the janitors learned that the mop she was carrying would not be needed. She walked by the wheels for the loading bridge and leaned her mop against the mechanism. The wheel assembly began to move and caught her legs, knocking her to the ground. The driver of the passenger loading bridge was backing it away from the aircraft, but stopped when he heard people yelling. The injured janitor was crushed by the wheels of the passenger loading bridge. She was transported to a hospital, where doctors amputated her left leg and treated severe trauma to her right leg. The passenger loading bridge driver's view of the adjacent and underneath areas from the operations console position was limited, and the employer had a procedure in place requiring a spotter to assist when employees operate the bridge in reverse. The employer instructed drivers to ask security personnel working for another employer to serve as spotters; however, the employer had no procedure for providing spotters when the security personnel were not available. The injured employee had been working on the ramp crew for only about 3 weeks and had not received training in ramp safety or ramp hazards. She was unaware that the bridge would sometimes move away from the plane before the cleaning crews finished working on the aircraft, depending on the service contract details with the various airlines. The employee was also unaware that walking by the wheels was dangerous. She had seen other employees lean tools against the wheels for temporary storage.
| Employee # | Inspection Nr | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 310093547 | Hospitalized injury | Other | Janitors and cleaners |
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